The NFL fined Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua $25,000 for recent comments criticizing officiating, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Friday, per a source.
Nacua said this week on a livestream with internet personalities Adin Ross and Mikyle Rafiq, also known as N3on, that NFL officials are “the worst.”
“Some of the rules aren’t … These guys want to be … these guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too,” Nacua said. “You don’t think he’s texting his friends in the group chat like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on Sunday Night Football. That wasn’t P.I., but I called it.'”
After Thursday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams WR doubled down in a since-deleted social media post.
“Can you say i was wrong,” Nacua posted. “Appreciate you stripes for your contribution. Lol.”
After Nacua deleted the post, he told reporters he made the latter comments in a “moment of frustration.”
“Just a moment of frustration after a tough, intense game like that,” he said, “just thinking of the opportunities that I could’ve done better to take it out of their hands.”
Nacua was also asked if he believed what he said on the livestream regarding officials making calls to be shown on TV.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “It was just a lack of awareness and just some frustration. I know there are moments where I feel like, man, you watch other games and you think of the calls that some guys get, and you wish you could get some of those. But that’s just how football is played. I’ll do my job in order to work my technique to make sure there’s not an issue with a call.”
