IN THE MONTH after Puka Nacua ended his first NFL season with the most rookie receiving yards in league history, the Los Angeles Rams receiver was having fun.
He was enjoying the perks that come with going from a fifth-round pick out of BYU to breaking a record that had stood for 63 years. He rode a Zamboni during a Los Angeles Kings game, played in his first Pro Bowl and spent Super Bowl week in Las Vegas.
Then the Thursday before the Super Bowl he got a text from fellow Rams receiver Cooper Kupp:
Hey, I'm starting back up on Monday morning.