SAN JOSE — For two years, Cooper Kupp had a firsthand look at the kind of talent Puka Nacua brings to the field when the two were teammates with the Los Angeles Rams.
Though Kupp signed with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason after eight years with the Rams, he still kept up on what Nacua, the former BYU and Orem High star wide receiver, is doing as one of the top young receivers in the NFL.
Following a breakout third season in the league, Nacua is one of five finalists for The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, along with Kupp’s current teammate, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The winner will be announced Thursday during the NFL Honors ceremony (7 p.m. MST, NBC, NFL Network) — Smith-Njigba is the odds-on favorite to win the award, with Nacua second in the latest odds.
That doesn’t discount the kind of dominant 2025 season that Nacua had. He led the NFL with 129 receptions while adding a career-high in both receiving yards (1,715) and receiving touchdowns (10).
Kupp said Nacua is his same physical self this year, but, in particular, he was impressive with the number of tough catches he made during the season.
Nacua led the NFL with 27 contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus — that number was the highest in the two-plus decades PFF has charted data.
“I don’t know what he’s doing with his gloves — he’s sticking the ball somehow, swiping down at the thing. I’m not sure what he’s been doing with all that. So he’s done some unbelievable things,” Kupp told the Deseret News on Wednesday, ahead of Super Bowl LX, where Seattle will face the New England Patriots this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“Same Puka in terms of his physicality, his willingness across the middle and running after the catch. He did a great job just making really tough catches this year.”
Smith-Njigba one-upped Nacua in receiving yards, finishing with a league-high 1,793 on the year, while adding 119 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Smith-Njigba ended up with the eighth-best single-season receiving total in NFL history, while Nacua’s 2025 effort was 14th in the league all-time.
Kupp is an expert on great seasons — he was the last NFL player to win the triple crown, when in the 2021 season he led the league in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 1,947 receiving yards that year was second-best all-time.
The 32-year-old veteran, though, complimented both Nacua and Smith-Njigba for the standout years that have them both in contention for one of the NFL’s top offensive honors this season.
“I’ve got close to both of them just as a friend and a teammate. They were great players before I had ever met them,” Kupp said. “They were great in their own right. It’s great to see those guys get recognized for putting together seasons that are very special.”
