Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua debuted a new look during his highly-anticipated return to NFL action.

Ahead of Thursday night’s game between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles activated Nacua from injured reserve. The 23-year-old had been sidelined for the team’s last five games after spraining his posterior cruciate ligament in Week 1.

Upon stepping back onto the field at SoFi Stadium, however, Nacua was hardly recognizable while donning luscious locks and a bushy beard. Taking to social media, fans expressed their shock upon seeing the wideout following his lengthy hiatus.

“Damn I didn’t even recognize Puka with longer hair and mustache lmao,” one X user wrote, with another adding: “Puka Nacua and his long hair + beard combo is very weird to look at after last year.”

A third noted: “Puka looking like he gained some muscle! Dude looks way bigger than last year.”

Others pointed out that Nacua’s new hairdo closely resembles that of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu, who secured a partnership with Head & Shoulders thanks to his signature curls. “Puka Nacua going for the Troy Polamalu look,” someone said. Another person asserted: “Puka Nacua has the best hair in the NFL, I mean it’s Troy P level.”

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Fans were divided over Puka Nacua's new look

Fans were divided over Puka Nacua’s new look ( 

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Getty Images)

It didn’t take long for Nacua to make his presence known. On the Rams’ opening drive of the game, quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted him on his first two throws. After failing to reel in the first pass, the wideout successfully corralled the second throw for a 13-yard gain.

Through the Rams’ first two offensive possessions – both of which ended in touchdown scores – Nacua reeled in four catches on five targets for 64 yards, matching the number of receptions he recorded during the last game he played in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

The return of Nacua is surely a welcome sight for the Rams, who posted a meager 1-4 record in his absence. The additional presence of Cooper Kupp, who suited up Thursday after being sidelined with an ankle injury, provided the team with an immediate boost on offense and helped propel them to a 30-20 win over the Vikings.

Speaking to Rams Wire on Wednesday, Nacua conceded that being away from his teammates while rehabbing was a difficult pill to swallow. “Being able to touch the grass with the guys, that’s what you want to be,” he said. “Nobody wants to be laying out on the treatment table so everybody else is out there on the football field so great to be out there.

“[It] definitely adds like a different mental aspect of the game and feeling like, man, how can I still be a part of this? How can I impact the game and being able to communicate with the guys or with Matthew or just in any type of way, be a positive energy on the sideline.

“It definitely was tough but then I guess being able to find another way to interact in the game was what kept me going and being able to just be around the guy still creates a positive environment.”