what did puka nacua say

Puka Nacua has been in the news recently for two main things he said: an apology for an antisemitic gesture on a livestream and his later comments about NFL referees that led to a fine.

Apology statement

In mid‑December 2025, Nacua posted a public apology after performing a gesture on a livestream that is widely recognized as antisemitic.

• He wrote: “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”

• He also said he “had no idea” the gesture was offensive and framed the moment as something he needed to learn from.

Comments about referees

Shortly after, he drew more attention for remarks criticizing NFL officials, which resulted in a league fine.

• During a livestream and in a now‑deleted social media post after a close Rams loss to the Seahawks, he disparaged the referees; one line highlighted in coverage was him saying “the refs are the worst.”

• The NFL fined him 25,000 dollars, and when he spoke to reporters afterward he said “that one, it definitely hurt” and described it as “a learning moment and an experience to learn from and to never let happen again,” emphasizing he needs to “manage those emotions and send that energy in the right direction.”

How he’s framing it now

In his more recent media availability, Nacua has tried to present the whole stretch as part of his growth as a young star.

• He has talked about not letting emotions get the best of him and said he wants to avoid criticizing referees publicly going forward.

• Around the same time, he also spoke about enjoying the pressure of big moments, his production, and the excitement in the Rams locker room as the team pushes toward the playoffs.

TL;DR: Nacua publicly apologized for an antisemitic gesture and said he doesn’t support racism or hate, and he later admitted that his critical comments about referees and the resulting fine “hurt” and need to be a learning experience so he can better manage his emotions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.