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Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua didn't hesitate when asked who gives him the most trouble on defense. Nacua quickly touted San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner as the most difficult defender to face when he runs routes in the middle of the field.
Nacua explained why Warner is the one defender he genuinely dreads seeing across from him on Sundays during an episode of Impaulsive.
"He's the best," Nacua said. "Everybody's really obviously so good in the NFL. There's nobody that covers that much space. It's scary. The middle of the field is terrible. We'll run routes and I won't catch the ball and he's standing right there and he's like, 'I knew exactly where you're going.'"
Nacua said Warner's range makes it feel like the All-Pro linebacker is teleporting across the field mid-play.
"Dude, I swear when I started the play, you're on the left sideline and now you're right here standing next to me," Nacua recalled telling Warner. "He's like, 'That's just what I do.'"
The respect runs deeper than a typical divisional rivalry: Warner and Nacua's older brother, Kai, were teammates at BYU before Warner became a three-time All-Pro with San Francisco. That history adds a layer of familiarity to what's become one of the NFC West's most heated individual matchups.
"It's funny because he played with my older brother," Nacua said. "So there's a friendly competition, but he's also — that's our rival team. So I'm like, 'Fred, I kind of hate you.' We're supposed to not like each other, but I also enjoy watching you play."
Warner has anchored San Francisco's defense since entering the league in 2018, consistently ranking among the league leaders in tackles while also excelling in coverage — the exact trait Nacua pointed to as most disruptive.
With the Rams and 49ers set to meet twice again this season, Nacua's comments underscore just how central the Nacua-Warner matchup has become to the rivalry, even if the two share more history — and mutual respect — than most divisional foes.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Puka Nacua says Fred Warner is the scariest defender he faces
Continue reading...
Nacua explained why Warner is the one defender he genuinely dreads seeing across from him on Sundays during an episode of Impaulsive.
"He's the best," Nacua said. "Everybody's really obviously so good in the NFL. There's nobody that covers that much space. It's scary. The middle of the field is terrible. We'll run routes and I won't catch the ball and he's standing right there and he's like, 'I knew exactly where you're going.'"
Nacua said Warner's range makes it feel like the All-Pro linebacker is teleporting across the field mid-play.
"Dude, I swear when I started the play, you're on the left sideline and now you're right here standing next to me," Nacua recalled telling Warner. "He's like, 'That's just what I do.'"
The respect runs deeper than a typical divisional rivalry: Warner and Nacua's older brother, Kai, were teammates at BYU before Warner became a three-time All-Pro with San Francisco. That history adds a layer of familiarity to what's become one of the NFC West's most heated individual matchups.
"It's funny because he played with my older brother," Nacua said. "So there's a friendly competition, but he's also — that's our rival team. So I'm like, 'Fred, I kind of hate you.' We're supposed to not like each other, but I also enjoy watching you play."
Warner has anchored San Francisco's defense since entering the league in 2018, consistently ranking among the league leaders in tackles while also excelling in coverage — the exact trait Nacua pointed to as most disruptive.
With the Rams and 49ers set to meet twice again this season, Nacua's comments underscore just how central the Nacua-Warner matchup has become to the rivalry, even if the two share more history — and mutual respect — than most divisional foes.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Puka Nacua says Fred Warner is the scariest defender he faces
Continue reading...
