Heading into the 2026 season, wide receiver Puka Nacua remains one of the most important players on the Los Angeles Rams‘ roster, alongside quarterback Matthew Stafford and recently acquired Myles Garrett. At the same time, however, Nacua’s injury concerns and off-field issues have become major concerns ahead of the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
For broader context, Nacua is currently dealing with a groin injury and is entering the final year of his rookie contract after an eventful offseason that included a legal case. Radio hosts Bill Reiter and Doug McKain recently discussed the receiver’s situation in Los Angeles. And while they’re optimistic about his talent, certain off-field issues led them to label Nacua as one of the more unreliable players on the roster.
“We know how talented Puka Nacua is,” said McKain. “We know how great of a receiver Puka Nacua is. We know that if there were no off-the-field issues, he would have signed a new contract. It would have made him the highest-paid receiver in the National Football League. But how is this going to develop? Is he going to take a massive step forward, or is this guy to be a self-sabotaging red-flag receiver like we’ve seen so many times in the NFL?”
There’s no denying that Nacua has managed to establish himself as one of the best young receivers in the league in a short NFL career. Across three seasons, he has started all but one game that he has appeared in. In the stretch, Nacua has recorded 4191 receiving yards on 313 receptions and 19 touchdowns.
He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal after finishing first in the league in receptions (129), second to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in receiving yards (1,715), and tied for sixth in touchdowns (10) in 2025. While Smith-Njigba has reset the wide receiver market after signing a contract extension, Nacua is expected to surpass him once the Rams offer him a new deal.
However, his off-field issues are one of the major reasons why the Rams haven’t signed him yet, leading Reiter to tag him as one of the unreliable players on the team’s roster.
“My percentage that I would put down what you just described happens, I think it’s much higher than yours,” responded Reiter to McKain’s statement. “I’m very worried about the guy…He’s the second most important player on the team…He’s top three. And he’s one of the most unreliable players.”
Earlier this offseason, a Los Angeles woman, Madison Atiabi, filed a lawsuit against Puka Nacua. Per the reports, Atiabi alleged Nacua made an antisemitic remark during an interaction on New Year’s Eve and bit her on the shoulder and her friend on the thumb. Nacua, meanwhile, denied the allegations, per his lawyer, Levi McCathern.
At the same time, it was revealed that Nacua checked into a holistic care and treatment facility to address drug, alcohol, and behavioral issues even before the lawsuit was filed. While a trial date for the civil lawsuit is scheduled for March 27, 2028, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Nacua could face disciplinary action from the league.
“(Nacua) could potentially face discipline for some of the offseason headlines that accompanied him, and some of those incidents last year with another woman, what did and didn’t occur,” Schefter reported earlier this month.
So that’s where things stand for Puka Nacua heading into his fourth NFL season. Besides, the receiver recently suffered a groin injury that limited his participation in training camp. The Rams have re-acquired wide receiver Tutu Atwell in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter amid Nacua’s situation.
That doesn’t confirm Nacua’s unavailability for the season opener against the 49ers, especially considering the Rams’ wide receiver corps behind Nacua and Davante Adams is relatively thin. However, it remains to be seen how Nacua’s situation develops before the Week 1 matchup.