2025 NFL free agency: Rams WR Puka Nacua reveals new number after Davante Adams signing

When the Los Angeles Rams signed Davante Adams, they brought in an elite No. 1 option to play alongside Puka Nacua. But there was one big question: Who would wear No. 17 on his jersey?

Adams has worn 17 throughout his NFL career, starting with the Green Bay Packers and continuing with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets. Nacua wore the number through his two seasons with the Rams as he burst onto the NFL scene.

It turns out Adams will keep the number. Nacua is switching to No. 12, he announced. That’s what he wore at BYU – and, as it turns out, it has another special meaning.

“Having watched my other siblings wear it, this is my opportunity to put on the special number 12,” Nacua told theRams.com’s Stu Jackson.

Nacua wore No. 12 during little league and continued to do so at both Washington and BYU. His brother and sister both did so, as well, as she played basketball and he played quarterback on the football team.

But with Adams now coming in on a two-year contract following his release from the Jets, Nacua had the opportunity to go back to it. It’s not only a way for him to go back to his college roots, but to showcase the relationship he has with his family.

“Kind of along the lines of wearing number 12, I’ve had the blessing of being able to watch my siblings compete,” Nacua said. “Watched my brothers play at the highest level in football, and always be there to support me. Whenever I looked in the stands, I knew I could find one of my family members there, whether it was one of my brothers or my mom being at every game possible. I know when I put on that number 12, it’s a piece of armor as well that’s representing my family that is always protecting me.”

The Rams selected Puka Nacua in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he quickly became a key piece of the offense after Cooper Kupp missed the start of the season with an injury. As a rookie, he totaled 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting.

He followed that up with 79 receptions for 990 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 after injuries kept him out for six games. But with Kupp now set to leave the Rams either via trade or with his release, Nacua will now get ready to join forces with Adams as Matthew Stafford’s top two targets.