With Puka Nacua facing a lawsuit for allegedly biting two women and making an antisemitic statement during a New Year’s Eve gathering, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that he has a “close relationship” with the wide receiver and supports him.
“You guys know, I trust this kid’s heart,” McVay said at the annual league meeting. “Love him, put your arm around him, want to continue to help him grow. And, really, get all the appropriate facts before I rush to judgment on that particular situation. But I will say, knowing this guy for three years, is I do trust his heart. I trust the human being. And I want to be able to put my arm around him.”
Nacua is coming off a season in which he led the NFL with 129 receptions and 107.2 yards per game, finishing with 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games (15 starts). He is due for a large extension this offseason and is set to make a base salary of $5.77 million.
As for the lawsuit, Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, denied the receiver said the antisemitic remark while describing the biting as “horseplay.” McCathern told ABC News last week in a statement that Nacua is “pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”
A hearing is set for April 14. The suit seeks monetary damages but does not specify an amount.
Nacua, 24, had to apologize for a different antisemitic incident that took place earlier that month on a livestream with influencer Adin Ross. Ross persuaded Nacua into making a gesture connected to Jewish stereotypes while practicing a touchdown celebration on the stream.
McVay said that Nacua understands there is a responsibility for each player to represent the organization that is “not exclusive just the production on the field.”
“Puka would be the first to tell you, he and I have a close relationship,” McVay said. “We communicate clear, open, and honest. The play on the field is amazing, and with what the play has dictated and determined, there’s a responsibility in terms of representing all things — not exclusive to just that. He knows that. Those are the expectations. And we’re hopeful that will be something that, this is an opportunity for him to learn and grow, and we are hopeful that he’s a Ram for a really long time.”
In Nacua’s three-year career, the 2023 fifth-round pick has 313 receptions for 4,191 yards and 19 touchdowns in 44 games (43 starts). He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2025 and is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
