Puka Nacua has been as good as any wide receiver in the NFL during the 2025 regular season. The Los Angeles Rams star is currently top-five of the league in receptions and receiving yards, and he’s helping make his quarterback Matthew Stafford the frontrunner for MVP right now. With the Rams fighting to stay at the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoff picture on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Nacua came up with his best catch yet this season — and it might just be the NFL’s Catch of the Year.
Puka Nacua’s backhanded one-hander is NFL’s best catch this year
This was absurd from Puka Nacua.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
With the Rams trailing in the fourth quarter, Stafford aired one out to Nacua on 2nd-and-10. Nacua fought off the defensive back with one arm, and reached out to grab the ball with the other arm for a backhanded, one-handed catch. The Rams scored the go-ahead touchdown a few plays later.
It doesn’t get any better than this Nacua grab. Watch the play here.
The alternate angle is even better. Nacua isn’t the biggest or fastest receiver, but somehow he’s just impossible to cover one-on-one. Just look at this:
There have been some awesome catches during this NFL regular season. I’m partial to Michael Pittman’s touchdown grab for the Indianapolis Colts about a month ago. Nacua didn’t get in the end zone on this, but I think this really is the most difficult completed catch this year. Even Odell Beckham would be proud.
The Rams’ offense is really good. Having Puka Nacua sure helps.
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