Justin Herbert And Puka Nacua Under Fire: Why Fans Are Suddenly Turning On The NFL Stars

NFL stars Puka Nacua and Justin Herbert have faced significant backlash over the last week after both reportedly displayed problematic behavior. Following last night's "Thursday Night Football" stream, Nacua answered reporters' questions head-on about statements he made earlier in the week about NFL officials and a dance he performed that's been described as antisemitic. Herbert, meanwhile, has been slammed by social media users after a clip of him seemingly trying to ignore a female sports reporter following his team's win went viral.

Since joining the league in 2023, Nacua has stayed out of trouble and avoided controversy. However, over the last few weeks, all of that has seemed to come crashing down, with some of the wide receiver's actions being called into question.

Recently, Nacua appeared in a Kick stream with the popular internet personality Adin Ross. During the stream, Ross had Nacua rub his hands together as he looked into the camera. Shortly after, Nacua began facing backlash from members of the Jewish community who deemed the gesture offensive and antisemitic.

Democratic representative Eric Swalwell even condemned the BYU athlete's behavior, writing, "The Los Angeles Jewish community is on edge after the Bondi Beach massacre" before stating Nacua "should apologize or be dropped."

Nacua shared a post on Instagram before Prime Video's stream of "Thursday Night Football." In his statement, Nacua apologized for his actions and stated that he was unaware of the gesture's meaning.

"When I appeared the other day on a social media livestream, it was suggested to me to perform a specific movement as part of my next touchdown celebration," he said. "At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people," he added.

Nacua apologized if he offended anyone, adding, "I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry, or hate of another group of people." The NFL released its own statement, stating that it "strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and derogatory behavior directed towards any group or individual."

The Rams' statement was similar, saying, "There is no place in this world for Antisemitism as well as other forms of prejudice or hostility towards the Jewish people and people of any religion, ethnicity, or race."

That's not the only reason Nacua has been in the hot seat this week. Also on Ross' stream, Nacua blasted some NFL officials, alleging they make certain calls only for attention. "The refs are the worst," he said. "You don't think [an official] is texting his friends in the group chat, like, 'Yo, you guys just saw me on 'Sunday Night Football'? That wasn't [pass interference], but I called it.'"

Following last night's nail-biter contest between the Rams and Seattle Seahawks, Nacua shared another post on X (formerly Twitter) that seemed critical of the referees—a fine-worthy offense. "Can you say I was wrong. Appreciate you stripes for your contribution. Lol," he wrote before quickly deleting the post.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Nacua said the post was a result of "frustration." He further stated that he wishes he could get the calls he wants all the time. "But that's just how football is played. I'll do my job in order to work my technique to make sure there's not an issue with a call," he said.

The NFL fined Nacua $25,000 on December 19, 2025.

Herbert, on the other hand, also made headlines this December after his icy interaction with ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge.

After the Chargers' win over the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football" on December 8, Herbert could be seen trying to walk away from Rutledge, who was attempting to conduct a postgame interview.

"No, I’m trying to celebrate with my team," he said to her, to which Rutledge replied, "No, I know, but can we just talk to you real fast?"

What followed was an excruciatingly awkward exchange, as Herbert stonewalled Rutledge with generic, robotic answers that made his disdain for the media crystal clear.

"Yeah, the defense played incredible," he said. "They came up with so many big stops today. So proud to be able to play for those guys, and the way they compete down in and down out is really fun to watch."

Fans have been vocal about their disappointment in both players on different social media threads. For example, one TikTok video of Herbert has garnered over 273,000 likes and nearly 3,500 comments.

"If she showed up at his hotel and demanded an interview, she'd be in the wrong," a user posted. "But he's literally at work. And interviews are part of the job."

Another user echoed that sentiment, writing, "Bro makes $60 million a year and complains about having to do his job." A third user questioned, "Would he have acted that way towards a male reporter? Doubt it."

The statements about Nacua were much the same, with one writing, "Puka Nacua went from one of the most likable NFL players to one of the biggest a-sholes in one week." Another opinionated netizen shared, "For a guy who's done almost everything right over his first three NFL seasons ... Puka Nacua's had a week of pretty horrific judgment."

An impassioned user added, "F-CK PUKA NACUA, F-CK [HEAD COACH] SEAN MCVAY, F-CK THE RAMS, AND F-CK PUKA NACUA AGAIN."