Colin Cowherd blasts 23 y/o Puka Nacua's comments on early retirement - "NFL GMs aren't looking for work-life balance" 

Puka Nacua is 23 years old and is not against the idea of retiring at 30, even after seeing the likes of Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and Calvin Ridley each hit a thousand yards at that age or older. And at least one person is not a fan of such transparency.

Speaking with FaZe Clan's Kris 'Swagg' Lamberson and Mathews 'Matcrackz' Arroyave on the "Join the Lobby" podcast on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver said he wanted to emulate Aaron Donald and leave the gridiron while still at his peak:

“I’m going into Year 3 — it wouldn’t even be ten years. It’d be maybe seven or eight... To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool.”

When asked why, he cited the risk of career-altering injuries and a desire to have a big family and be there for them while he still could.

On Tuesday, veteran sportscaster Colin Cowherd expressed his displeasure at the comments. Speaking on his FS1 show "The Herd," he said he "didn't love it":

"NFL general managers, they're not looking for work-life balance. They don't care. They want you to be obsessed. And I think it actually puts a light on Puka. What if next year he's got more than a few drops, he misses a couple of games in a row, maybe just protecting his body over the team?"

He continued:

"Nobody's looking for humanity. They're looking for 18-19 games, 120 catches. Playing hurt. That's what they're looking for... This is not baseball. Get over it."

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Fans should not be worried about Rams WR Puka Nacua's early retirement plan

While such a frank expression raises concern for Colin Cowherd and some fans, others are unperturbed by Puka Nacua's desire to retire while still in his prime. One of them is SBNation's Kenneth Arthur, who covers the Rams on Turf Show Times:

"Any NFL player making it to 30, let alone one as physical as Nacua, is already in itself a minor miracle. Most receivers, even the best in the world, have a harder time finding work in the NFL after turning 30 as it is."

And some examples can arguably prove his opinion. Odell Beckham Jr., once considered one of the most explosive players at his position, has struggled to be a dominant option in his 30s, though ACL injuries have also contributed to his decline.

Nacua's former teammate Cooper Kupp has had his fair share of injury struggles throughout his career; but they did not become clearly evident until 2023, his age-30 season, when he fell below 800 yards for the first time in his career - which he would do again in 2024, leading to his release after the Rams could not find a trade partner.

Sticking to the divisional rival Seattle Seahawks, their former slot receiver Tyler Lockett last covered over a thousand yards in his own age-30 season in 2022. 2023, his age-31 season, marked the first time since 2018 that he did not reach four digits; and he would dip to 600 in 2024, leading to his release.