Puka Nacua’s Off-Field Issues Cloud Rams’ Week 1 Outlook

Puka Nacua Remains Under NFL Review Ahead of Week 1

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua remains under NFL review as Week 1 approaches, and another off-field story surfaced this week. According to the New York Post, Nacua’s former girlfriend Hallie Aiono discussed experiencing betrayal, abuse and neglect during a past relationship while explaining her decision to seek professional help. She did not describe a specific incident or explicitly accuse Nacua of committing abuse in the video.

That development adds to an already complicated offseason for Nacua. He is facing a civil lawsuit filed in March by Madison Atiabi, who alleges that during a New Year’s Eve gathering, Nacua made an antisemitic remark that left her “immediately uncomfortable and emotionally distressed” because of her Jewish faith, and that he then bit her shoulder hard enough to leave a mark, as well as biting her friend’s thumb. The suit cites gender violence, assault and battery, and negligence. Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, has firmly denied the claims, describing the physical contact as “horseplay” and stating specifically that the matter “is not sexual in nature, nor does it involve any allegation of domestic violence.” A civil trial has been scheduled for March 2028.

The lawsuit follows a separate incident from December 2025, when Nacua apologized for performing a gesture referencing antisemitic tropes during an internet livestream. According to his legal team, the ongoing scrutiny tied to these incidents factored into his decision to check into a rehab facility this past April.

The NFL has not announced a suspension, and Nacua was not placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List over the weekend, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported the situation remains squarely under league review. “(Nacua) could potentially face discipline for some of the offseason headlines that accompanied him,” Schefter said, adding that a scenario in which Nacua sits out the season-opening game in Australia “is within the realm of options.”

On the field, Nacua enters 2026 as one of the league’s premier receivers coming off another dominant season. Until the league reaches a decision, though, his availability for the Rams’ Sept. 10 opener against San Francisco in Melbourne remains a genuine question mark, one fantasy managers and Rams fans alike will need to monitor closely as the season approaches.