Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set social media ablaze this week after a livestream appearance in which he vocally criticized NFL referees and, in an off-hand comment, connected the Kansas City Chiefs‘ disappointing season to pop star Taylor Swift.
Nacua‘s comments, delivered on a livestream with popular internet personalities Adin Ross and N3on, shifted rapidly from a critique of officiating to pop culture in the NFL.
“It’s got to be the Swift curse,” Nacua said, referencing the Chiefs‘ unexpected struggles this year. The Kansas City franchise fell short of playoff qualification for the first time in nearly a decade, with injuries, inconsistent play, and a competitive AFC West contributing to the disappointing outcome.
While the comment about Swift drew laughs and social media attention, it was Nacua‘s criticism of NFL referees that could have more serious repercussions.
Speaking on the livestream, he accused officials of calling penalties strategically to gain attention during broadcasts. “The refs are the worst,” Nacua said.
“Some of the rules aren’t… These guys want to be… these guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too.
You don’t think he’s texting his friends in the group chat like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on Sunday Night Football. That wasn’t P.I., but I called it.'”
Such blunt assessments of officiating are rare from active players, in part because the NFL‘s rulebook explicitly discourages public criticism of game officials and can levy fines or suspensions for violations.
Nacua‘s criticism of referees taps into a long-standing debate within the NFL. Frustration with officiating isn’t new; players and analysts have sparred with calls all season. But Nacua‘s suggestion that officials make calls with self-serving motives for television exposure is unusually pointed.
Chiefs’ historic fall from grace
After years of consistent playoff appearances and multiple Super Bowl trips, the Chiefs finished the 2025 campaign with a 6-8 record and missed the postseason entirely, a first since 2014.
The decline culminated in a narrow 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that sealed the Chiefs‘ playoff fate late in the year. Swift, a fixture at Chiefs home games throughout the season, was present for that defeat, moments that were widely shared on social media.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also publicly addressed the disappointment. On his New Heights podcast, Kelce described the loss as “obviously f—ed up” while reaffirming his commitment to the team and the effort to finish the season strong despite injuries and adversity.
That season-ending collapse, paired with the intense visibility of Swift‘s presence, created fertile ground for internet theories and provocative takes like Nacua‘s, even if they stray far from the strategic realities of a football season.
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