Athletes are often superstitious — especially when it comes to jersey numbers. Many develop a strong attachment to a specific number, wearing it like a badge of identity. In the NFL, especially in the world of professional sports, players usually buy their preferred number if someone else already has it.
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Take former quarterback Jimmy Clausen, for example. He famously asked Cam Newton for $1 million to give up the No. 2 jersey — a price Newton wasn’t willing to pay. More recently, Puka Nacua had his eye on No. 12 but balked at the $500,000 asking price. Then came Davante Adams — who stepped into the picture and helped him save half a million.
The Rams made a big move this offseason, signing Davante Adams to a two-year, $44 million deal after releasing Cooper Kupp. With the addition of Adams, Puka Nacua, who had hoped to step in as the team’s WR1, now faces the reality that he may have to wait a couple of years. However, it’s an exciting time for the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford, who now have a dynamic mix of youth and experience—perfect for a high-powered passing game.
Adams, who has worn the number 17 throughout his career, naturally expected to continue doing so in LA. However, that number belonged to Nacua. Initially, Adams might have considered paying for it, but as it turns out, he didn’t need to.
Puka, on the other hand, had reluctantly worn number 17 because he couldn’t get his favorite number—12. In a recent episode of the Games with Names podcast, the BYU alum shared that changing numbers requires filing paperwork and meeting various legal obligations, which would have cost him $500K. As a fifth-round pick, that kind of money wasn’t exactly within his reach.
Still, Puka was determined to make the change and decided to wait it out. By 2024, he filed the necessary paperwork to switch from 17 to 12—well before the Rams brought in Adams.
“I wish he got it for freeski. I was already planning to switch to 12, so you’ve got to file the paperwork, they’ve got to buy out your jerseys and stuff like that. I was still a 5th round pick. I asked and they were like it will be $500k to switch your jersey. I was like I don’t have that type of money. I’m like no. So you fill out the paperwork and had to wait a whole year. I was going to go to the number 12 and then we signed Davante Adams.”
Had he waited just a few more weeks, Davante would have likely been willing to give up his preferred number. In the end, though, everything worked out for both parties involved.
So, why does Puka have such a strong affinity for the number 12? It’s simple—he wore it growing up, throughout high school, and in college. It’s even a “family number” for him, as his siblings also sported the same number while playing sports.
Now that both Adams and Nacua are wearing their preferred numbers, the two of them are poised to light up the NFL next season. The BYU alum is especially excited to team up with the former Packers star.
Puka was so eager to learn from Adams that he wanted to play him one-on-one on the basketball court—he believed it would help him understand Adams’s movement off the ball and his route-running style. With OTAs and training camp just around the corner, Puka can’t wait to start practicing alongside him and get to work.
