Rams star Puka Nacua isn’t going to be back in practice until he’s out of rehab. According to Nacua’s attorney in a statement confirmed with The California Post, the All-Pro wideout has been working on some of his issues in a rehab facility in Malibu.
Nacua has been the wrong kind of star in the last few months as the subject of multiple off-field incidents involving alcohol, antisemitic remarks, and biting people.
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The New York Post detailed the circumstances surrounding Nacua’s rehab stint and the statements from his lawyer:
The Rams receiver’s attorney, Levi McCathern, confirmed with The California Post on Wednesday that his client has been at a luxury treatment center in Malibu.
While McCathern said the move was not a direct response to the lawsuit Nacua’s bite accuser, Madison Atiabi, filed against him late last month, the lawyer did say “the combination of stories ya’ll have run is certainly a contributing factor.”
“He was in there a substantial period of time before any of these allegations broke with Madison,” McCathern said, “and he’s scheduled to be there for a while longer.”
McCathern added that Nacua’s goal with the stay is “to improve his overall behavior in every aspect of his life that he can do it.”
The Post also added several photos of Nacua at the luxury rehab facility, which is described in the story as “one that vows to use special treatments to help patients who are battling issues — including drug and alcohol addition, chronic pain and mental health conditions.”
Rams fans and others can’t assume with 100-percent accuracy what exactly Nacua is getting treatment for but one thing that’s clear is that he’s aware of what’s at stake this year if he doesn’t prove to himself and the team that he’s capable of focusing on his football career: A contract worth over $100 million of life-changing money.
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If what people believe is that Nacua is having issues, then what’s the harm in checking into an expensive rehab facility to convince them that you’re dedicated to improving your image and your life?
Nacua is as good as any player the Rams have drafted since Aaron Donald in 2014.
As one of the NFL’s preeminent stars at the receiver position, Nacua has broken receiving records and helped the Rams reach the NFC Championship game last season. Not even the Seattle Seahawks had an answer for him with the number one ranked defense. That’s how valuable Nacua has been to L.A. as a football player.
However, the franchise is wary of investing that kind of money into someone who has not appeared, at least in the public eye, as dedicated to football off of the field as Donald did during his Hall of Fame career. This is not to say that Donald is perfect or that Puka is more flawed than the average person, but just that perception is reality.
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We didn’t know much about Donald’s off-field life except for how much he likes to workout. We know way too much about Puka’s off-field life.
Sean McVay acknowledged this week that there are indeed concerns about Nacua’s public image and how he’s representing the Rams in the media, including the apprehensive to invest a long-term contract into a player who is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The timing of the news that Nacua is in rehab seems to be more than coincidental.
Even though Nacua has reportedly been in rehab since before this week, it would make sense that NOW he wants people to know that he’s working on himself and to give a look that he’s trying to improve the perception of his character before the 2026 season … And sure, it wouldn’t hurt if that means signing a four-year, $170 million contract with the Rams if they believe him.
Worst case scenario, Nacua is still somewhere that allows him to reflect on the last few months that have landed him in this situation.
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Best case scenario, the worst of these stories are in the past.