It’s been just two months into the offseason and outside of the big moves during free agency and NFL mock drafts, the player who has made a lot of noise, not necessarily for good reasons, is Puka Nacua. Arguably one of the best receivers in the NFL right now, last season he became only the second player in league history to surpass 2,000 receiving yards including playoffs, finishing with 2,047 yards (behind only Cooper Kupp’s 2,425 in that same stretch).
His 2025 regular season stats were elite: 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games, making him a clear cornerstone for the Los Angeles Rams.
Now things aren’t as “catchy” for Puka. According to reports, the Rams receiver’s attorney, Levi McCathern, confirmed that his client has checked into a luxury treatment center in Malibu. The facility specializes in helping patients with issues including drug and alcohol addiction, chronic pain, and mental health conditions.
Nacua’s Offseason Headlines Involve Alleged Alcohol-Related Incidents
Nacua has made headlines twice this offseason for incidents where alcohol was allegedly involved. The first came during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, when cameras captured him stumbling and dancing in the street after attending a party.
The second occurred on March 24, when Madison Atiabi, 24, filed a petition for a restraining order claiming that the two-time Pro Bowler had gotten drunk and bit her during a New Year’s Eve night out in Los Angeles.
Atiabi wrote in her filing that Nacua made her uncomfortable all evening after consuming alcohol at dinner with her and their friends. She claimed he said “f-k all the Jews” at the meal, before he “attacked” her in a sprinter van on the way to the next destination. Atiabi said Nacua’s bite “broke skin” and “left visible” marks on her shoulder, causing her “immediate and severe physical pain.”
Now in rehab, his attorney McCathern said the move was not a direct response to the lawsuit filed against him late last month, but he did acknowledge that “the combination of stories ya’ll have run is certainly a contributing factor.” 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.”
In this situation we can just wait until the legal process sorts itself out, but seeing Puka in rehab indicates he is trying to put this behind him and get professional help. For the Rams front office this can’t be welcome news, having their best receiver dealing with this instead of enjoying his time off after a successful season.
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