Puka Nacua #

Introduction #

Puka Nacua is a Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver who spent the 2026 offseason under threat of an NFL suspension after a civil lawsuit accused him of biting a woman and directing an antisemitic remark at her during a New Year’s Eve incident in Los Angeles — allegations his attorney has denied, and for which no criminal charges have ever been filed. The possibility hung over the Rams’ entire preseason: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in August that Nacua could miss the season opener, then said on September 7, 2026 — two days before kickoff — that there is now a “real possibility” Nacua plays the entire season without any discipline at all. The case remains a defining stain on the reputation of one of the NFL’s most productive receivers, with the underlying civil suit still unresolved.

Background Information #

Makea “Puka” Nacua was born May 29, 2001, in Las Vegas, Nevada, played college football at Washington and then BYU, and was selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He immediately became one of the great breakout stories in league history, setting the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie with 1,486 and earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors as a fifth-round afterthought turned superstar. By the end of the 2025 season he had been named first-team All-Pro, led the league in receptions, and stacked up 313 catches for 4,191 yards and 19 touchdowns in three years — numbers that made him the offensive centerpiece in Los Angeles. That on-field stature is precisely why the offseason allegations and the specter of a league suspension dominated coverage of the Rams ahead of a season opener moved to Melbourne, Australia.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

A civil lawsuit filed in March 2026 accused Nacua of assault and battery, gender violence and negligence over an alleged New Year’s Eve incident in Los Angeles. The plaintiff, Madison Atiabi, alleges Nacua made an antisemitic remark and later bit her on the shoulder; Sports Illustrated described the allegation as a bite delivered while he was intoxicated, followed by an unprovoked antisemitic remark. Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, denied that Nacua made the remark and described the alleged biting as “horseplay,” and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the allegations. A Los Angeles County judge set a trial date of March 27, 2028.

On August 11, 2026, Schefter reported that Nacua could face discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy for an offseason the network insider said was headlined by the alleged biting incident, “several displays of public drunkenness, apparent anti-semitic comments and a stint in rehab,” and that it was “within the realm of options” that Nacua would not play in the September 10 opener against the 49ers. The league can impose that discipline independently of the criminal process, which kept the question alive all summer. The Rams, meanwhile, traded for veteran receiver Tutu Atwell in late August in what analysts read as insurance against a suspension, with precedent suggesting one to three games was the most likely penalty had the league acted.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The uncertainty became the defining storyline of the Rams’ preseason, with fantasy managers and Rams fans told to brace for an announcement that could arrive “at any moment.” On August 30, Schefter reported Nacua and Rams tackle Alaric Jackson — who was arrested on a domestic violence charge in June — remained under league review even after other players, including Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper, were placed on the commissioner’s exempt list before final cuts. Nacua stayed on the active roster throughout, and no punishment arrived before Week 1 preparations began — a contrast with the players who were sidelined that many read as an encouraging sign. The allegations themselves drew broad national attention, particularly the reported antisemitic remark, though all of the claims remain unproven allegations contested by Nacua’s legal team.

Current Status #

As of September 7, 2026, no suspension has been handed down. Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show that morning, “I think there’s a real possibility that Puka is going to go through this season unscathed and not face any discipline for his part in that off-the-field incident with that woman where he was accused of, allegedly, biting her,” adding that Nacua is “going to be out there on Thursday night against the 49ers.” “Doesn’t sound like he’s going to face any discipline this year right now,” Schefter said. A psoas injury had limited Nacua in practice but was not expected to keep him out of the opener. The civil lawsuit remains pending with the March 2028 trial date, meaning the underlying allegations have not gone away — only the immediate threat of league discipline has receded.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Even without a suspension, the saga shadowed the most productive stretch of Nacua’s career: a first-team All-Pro 2025 season followed by an offseason of rehab stint, lawsuit headlines, and months of waiting on the league. The Rams spent real roster currency — the Atwell trade — preparing to play without him, a measure of how seriously the organization took the threat. The March 27, 2028 civil trial will keep the allegations attached to his name for at least two more seasons, and the league retains the ability to act on its personal conduct policy at any point, so the resolution Schefter described is an expectation rather than an official clearing. For now, the cancellation question for one of football’s biggest stars has narrowed from “how many games will he lose” to whether the court case will eventually answer what happened on New Year’s Eve.