“He’s not giving that up. Puka’s not giving that up.” That’s what the Cleveland Browns‘ wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said when asked if Puka Nacua would give up his number #17. You see, on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams signed Davante Adams on a 2-year deal worth $46M. And guess what? Social media went wild—not over whether Adams would fit in with the Rams, but over the real debate: Would Puka Nacua actually give up his #17 for him?

Let’s be real—the 23-year-old wide receiver has been donning the No. 17 ever since the Rams drafted him back in the 2023 NFL draft. So yeah, giving up his number kinda sounds like a tough call to make, right? But nope, Nacua made sure that Adams felt right at home. The result? The young WR indeed gave up his #17 for Adams. Yeah, just like that.

On Wednesday, the Rams hopped on their official ‘X’ handle and broke the news. “Some numbers choose you,” they wrote in their post. Nacua’s new number? It’s #12. The Green Bay Packers selected Davante with a second-round pick back in the 2014 NFL draft. Since then, the 32-year-old has been donning #17. And that’s not all.

The guy has played for three teams before landing in LA and never once switched up his jersey number. So yeah, Nacua giving up his #17 sounds like a pretty obvious move. On the flip side, the Rams‘ fans will be watching the third year WR donning a new number in the 2025 campaign. Nacua opted to don No. 12 that he wore while playing two seasons for the BYU Cougars.

“Carrying on the Nacua legacy! The #12 not only represents me on the football field, but all of my brothers and the sacrifices that my family have made before me to be able to wear this jersey at this moment,” Nacua explained the reason behind opting for No. 12. “I know when I put on that #12, it’s a piece of armor that’s representing my family and always protecting me.” Before starting his pro football career, Nacua wrapped up his BYU career with 91 catches for 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns, including 39 carries for 357 yards and five touchdowns.

And just after this announcement, the fans are out there giving mix reactions over Puka Nacua opting #12 as if they’re retiring his jersey number.

Fans honor Puka Nacua’s former jersey number

Puka Nacua has been in the NFL for just a couple of seasons. The guy had a record-breaking rookie season for the Rams when he amassed 1,486 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. Well enough to catch the fans’ attention in his rookie season. Fast forward to now and Nacua is gearing up to enter his third season of his career, but with a different number on his back. And let’s be real—it’s not just the WR who’s bidding farewell to his favorite number, fans are with him as well—and they had their own thoughts.

First up, a common theme—the bag. Because let’s be real, in the NFL, nothing’s really free, right? One fan straight-up hoped, “I hope Puka at least got a bag for 17.” Honestly, that’s a fair point. Nacua might be a team player, but if you’re giving up the number that made history in your breakout rookie season, a little something in return wouldn’t hurt.

Then there’s the legacy talk. Because, obviously. Another fan chimed in, already putting the WR’s name with the greats, “Will go down as one of the greatest Rams wide receivers to ever play the game 🐐.” Uh-huh! No one’s arguing about that. The guy showed up as a fifth-round pick and played like he was drafted top five. But still, there’s still room for Nacua’s development.

And how can we forget that pro-Puka protection Squad? “Yeah he doesn’t need to give that number away for free 💯😎🤑.” They’re not wrong, though. I mean, the guy made #17 his own with the Rams. Guess we’re still wondering if Adams even ask nicely, or was this just one of those unspoken vet-young-guy moments? The odds are favoring the veteran WR asked nicely.

Then came the RIP tweets. “RIP every #17 Puka jersey.” Ooh, someone’s feeling quite emotional if we’re being real. And who can blame them? Picture this: you just dropped $150 on a fresh Puka #17, only for him to pull a mid-career wardrobe change? Brutal.

But there’s this fan who just won’t accept the reality. “Noooooo tell D. Adams to wear number 12 lol or 7..we like you with 17.” That’s the energy. I mean, the guy’s surely looking for one answer: why does Nacua have to make the switch? Well, it’s done now. And it’s pretty much sounds like a mutual decision. After all, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are gearing up to play side-by-side with the Rams in 2025.