In a surprising twist during the Rams’ 26-20 overtime win against the Seahawks, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was ejected after throwing a punch at Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson. The incident took place late in the second quarter when Seattle held a narrow 6-3 lead, marking a heated moment that shifted focus to Nacua’s actions and led to his ejection from the game.
The altercation began when Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford attempted a downfield pass targeting Nacua on first-and-10 from the Rams’ 44-yard line. Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen intercepted the pass at Seattle’s 25-yard line, where he was down by contact. However, Woolen appeared unaware and attempted to continue running with the ball. As Woolen made his way downfield, Dodson engaged Nacua to block him. Nacua, apparently realizing that the play had concluded and frustrated by the turnover, reacted by throwing a punch to Dodson’s helmet.
“The punch that got Puka Nacua ejected,” tweeted NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, capturing the moment that instantly drew attention. Game officials quickly flagged Nacua for unnecessary roughness and made the decision to eject him from the game. However, Nacua didn’t immediately leave the field, instead sitting briefly on the bench before eventually jogging to the locker room amidst loud boos from the Seattle crowd with just 17 seconds left in the half.
Reflecting on the incident, Nacua expressed regret, stating, “There were some things said earlier in the game and just letting my emotions get the best of me and reacting instead of responding in that moment,” via ESPN. He explained that he was aware of the play being over but felt he needed to defend himself after Dodson’s block. “I was just making sure I could defend myself and get ready to see whatever was happening for the next play,” he added.
Seattle capitalized on the turnover and penalty, starting from their 40-yard line with 27 seconds left. In a swift three-play, 60-yard drive, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 24-yard touchdown, increasing Seattle’s lead to 13-3 just before halftime.
The ejection capped off an unfortunate night for Nacua, who had only recently returned from a PCL injury suffered in the Rams’ season opener, which caused him to miss five games. While he made a notable comeback in Week 8 with seven catches for 106 yards against the Vikings, he left Sunday’s game with just one catch for 11 yards.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford showed his support for Nacua, acknowledging the emotional pressures on the field. “Obviously, that’s nothing that he wants to do,” Stafford remarked. “He doesn’t want to not be able to be out there and play with us… but I got total trust and confidence in his ability to respond.”
With the ejection behind him, Nacua now faces the challenge of regrouping as he works to turn around a season that began with high expectations.