Puka Nacua is coming off a dominant season in which he caught 129 balls for 1,715 yards and 10 TDs, and the Rams are big favorites to win this coming season’s Super Bowl. There remains a chance, however, that Nacua will not be with the Rams in Week 1 of the season (and possibly beyond) due to off-field issues.
Is Puka Nacua suspended by the NFL for Week 1 of the season?
The NFL is currently reviewing a situation in which Nacua allegedly bit a woman on the shoulder on New Year’s Eve. Earlier this month, a Los Angeles County Judge set a civil trial date of March 27, 2028.
Nacua’s attorney has said that a bite occurred that night, but has maintained that the action was consensual “horseplay.”
The Rams WR has not been suspended by the NFL for the incident, but it remains a possibility.
The NFL can discipline a player even without criminal charges, and before a verdict.
“Right now, there are some things going on behind closed doors that we don’t have full access to, that are going to have a significant impact on the season, depending on how these conversations go,” Schefter said earlier this month. “Cases that I believe are now being reviewed include that of Rams wide receiver Puka Nakua, who could face discipline for some of the offseason headlines that accompanied him.
“It’s possible that when the Niners and Rams play in Australia (in Week 1 of the regular season), it’s within the realm of options that Puka doesn’t play in the game.”
The NFL recently suspended Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr eight games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Pearce was initially charged with three felonies: Fleeing and eluding police, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.
The NFL elected not to suspend wide receiver Stefon Diggs after he was accused of strangling his personal chef last December. In May of this year, Diggs was found not guilty of the felony charge and in June the NFL determined that there was “insufficient evidence” to warrant a suspension.
Puka Nacua timeline
Here is a look at recent off-field incidents regarding Nacua.
- December 18, 2025: Nacua apologizes for performing an anti-semitic gesture on an internet livestream
- December 22, 2025: Nacua appears on a live stream with N3on and Adin Ross, and sparks controversy by saying that concussions aren’t real and that they’re “all in your head”
- December 31, 2026: Nacua allegedly bites a woman on the shoulder and also allegedly makes anti-semitic remarks
- March 2026: Nacua enters a holistic rehab facility to “focus on his personal growth”
- August 2026: Nacua is left bloodied after walking into a windowpane at Fanatics founder Michael Rubin’s famed “White Party”
Puka Nacua fantasy football ADP
Nacua is going off the boards early in fantasy football drafts this August, but his stock likely would have been even higher if it weren’t for the recent off-field distractions.
According to FantasyPros, Nacua’s ADP is 6. The earliest he is going is second overall and the latest he is going is 10th overall.
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