Second-year All-Pro Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua enjoyed a breakout 2023 debut season with L.A. The now-23-year-old was selected with the No. 177 pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of BYU. Nacua instantly emerged as a phenomenon and Pro Bowl L.A.quarterback Matthew Stafford’s top target. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound pass catcher set rookie records for receptions in a debut season (105), receiving yards for a rookie year (1,486), receptions in a single game for a rookie (15), and receiving yards by a rookie in a single playoff game (181). For his efforts, he was named a Second-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler, as well as a PFWA All-Rookie Team selection.
During his first season with the 10-7 Rams, in addition to the aforementioned stats, Nacua notched six receiving touchdowns, while starting all 17 of his regular season contests.
Now, Nacua will see one of his siblings return for his second NFL stint heading into the 2024 preseason.
On Friday, the New Orleans Saints signed Nacua’s brother, Samson, to join their offseason squad, the team revealed in a press statement.
Samson Nacua, who like Puka is a BYU alum, initially latched on with the Indianapolis Colts after going undrafted in 2022. He was cut before he could take a single regular season snap.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Samson Nacua pivoted to the UFL, where he played for the Pittsburgh Maulers for a pair of bouts in 2023. In 2024, Samson joined another Nacua brother, Kai, on the Michigan Panthers during the 2024 season. Per New Orleans, Samson notched 11 receptions for 125 total yards.
Samson Nacua had initially suited up with the Utah Utes for five seasons, from 2016-20, before transferring to BYU for his final collegiate season in 2021. He overlapped with his younger brother Puka on the team that year. While at Utah, Samson logged 82 cumulative receptions across 1,015 yards and 11 touchdowns. Across his 12 games with BYU, he caught 21 receptions across a total of 329 yards and three touchdowns. He registered averages of 12.37 yards at Utah and 15.7 yards at Brigham Young.
It’s going to be an uphill battle for Samson, 26, to actually make the Saints’ roster. If he did, he would be the third Nacua brother to make the league. Kai, 29, played for the Cleveland Browns, Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets, while also logging time on the practice teams of the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers, between 2017-2022.
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