Puka Nacua threw a cheeky dig at the Los Angeles Rams fanbase while discussing the team’s scheduled trip to Australia next season. The NFL announced on Thursday that the Rams will play division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in the first game of the regular season in Melbourne.
It’s one of the record nine overseas games scheduled for the 2026 season, and the first time an NFL game is being played in Australia. The Rams will be the home team for the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following their multi-year agreement to play in Melbourne in 2025.
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“The 49ers are a popular franchise within the Australian market, and this rivalry game solidifies what we know is going to be an incredible NFL experience for our fans down under,” Charlotte Offord, NFL Australia & New Zealand general manager, said.
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Puka Nacua discussed the upcoming encounter in Australia with 49ers’ linebacker Fred Warner on the “Real Ones: The League” podcast on Saturday. While it is a loss of an opportunity to play a division game at home for the Rams, the wide receiver noted it doesn’t really feel that way.
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Nacua: “We’re an hour away from each other, why are we getting sent there [Australia]?”
Warner: “They trying to make worldwide moves. They want us on that jet going 20 hours to Down Under.”
Nacua: “I love kangaroos, but I want to see them when I play somebody across the country.”
Warner: “You’re a home game so now you don’t get a home game. We still get our home game.”
Nacua: “Honestly, at SoFi, there’s not too many home games.”
Warner: “Honestly, that’s a blow to us. Let’s be real.”
Since relocating from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams have enjoyed tremendous success on the field. That said, Los Angeles has never been widely regarded as a city with a passionate, die-hard football fanbase, and Puka Nacua didn’t hold back on that.
Puka Nacua backing Cooper Kupp in the Super Bowl
Ahead of the NFL Honors on Thursday, Puka Nacua was questioned about his pick for Super Bowl LX. When it came to what he’d actually be rooting for between the New England Patriots and division rival Seattle Seahawks, Nacua drew a very firm line while confessing his love for Cooper Kupp.
“My loyalty lies with Coop,” Nacua said. “I will be cheering Cooper Kupp, and I will not be cheering for the Seahawks. I will cheer for No. 10, and I hope he has a good game. I’m excited to see him out there. He deserves it. There’s nobody I’ll be more excited for [if he wins].”
Cooper Kupp played a key mentoring role for Puka Nacua, helping the young receiver master the finer points of the position after the Rams selected Nacua in the 2023 draft. Throughout his first three NFL seasons, Nacua has consistently spoken glowingly of Kupp.
Edited by Farouk Yusuf
