'Definitely Hurt,' Puka Nacua Reflects on Fine for Criticizing NFL Refs in Viral Tweet

Puka Nacua spoke out for the first time since being fined by the NFL for criticizing the officials following the Los Angeles Rams' 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16.

Speaking to reporters about the situation, Nacua said the fine "definitely hurt" and called it a "learning moment" for him going forward:

"That one, it definitely hurt. I think it was something I was expecting. It was a learning moment and an experience to learn from and to never let happen again. There are going to be moments of frustration later on in my career whether it's ups and downs on my personal half or on the team's half so being able to manage those emotions and send that energy in the right direction."

In a since-deleted post on X immediately after the game, Nacua was critical of the officials for what he felt was their influence on the outcome:

The post came after Nacua made headlines two days earlier for calling NFL refs "the worst" during an appearance on a YouTube livestream with Adin Ross and N3on.

"The refs are the worst," Nacua said on the livestream. "... Some of the rules aren't ... These guys want to be ... these guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too. 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.'"

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on Dec. 19, the day after the Rams' loss, that Nacua had been fined $25,000 by the league for his comments about the officials.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said on the Let's Go podcast with Jim Gray this week that he spoke to Nacua about not going after the refs because "it's not fun when he's running routes, guys are tugging on his jersey and stuff, I don't know if he's gonna get too many calls."

The postgame comments overshadowed an incredible performance by Nacua against the Seahawks. He finished with a career-high 225 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches, but the Rams blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead to fall behind Seattle in the NFC West standings.

Nacua and the Rams can still win the division and earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, though they need a lot of help to get there. They have already clinched a postseason berth going into their Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football.