Puka Nacua is set to be on the field when the Rams open the season against the 49ers, but the wide receiver’s off-field situation is still drawing plenty of attention.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Nacua will be ready for Week 1 after dealing with psoas soreness, and NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the wideout is expected to play in Thursday’s season opener in San Francisco.
“Rams WR Puka Nacua, who has been dealing with psoas soreness and also could be facing potential discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy for previous off-the-field behavior, is expected to play in Week 1 vs. the 49ers, per HC Sean McVay,” Schefter said in his X post on Sunday.
That update came as Nacua also made a very public move involving his ex-girlfriend, Hallie Aiono. The two have not been on good terms since their breakup, which has been followed by several controversies. During their four-plus-year relationship, each has accused the other of being unfaithful, and according to Page Six, Nacua has influenced Aiono’s decision to undergo a paternity test to prove the Rams receiver’s child is his.
The latest round of fallout has centered on accusations from Aiono, who recently claimed “extreme betrayal” and “abuse” during the relationship. In a now-deleted TikTok video from Aug. 31, she described how quickly things changed.
“I went from loving somebody so deeply for four years, I felt it in my bones, to experiencing extreme betrayal, abuse, complete neglect from them, in what felt like it happened almost overnight. A lot of the things that were public affected my mental health,” she said.
“But honestly, the things that were happening in private are what completely crushed me and altered my brain chemistry. Those parts, what people never saw or knew of, are what broke me.”
Even with those allegations hanging over him, Nacua posted a birthday message for Aiono on Tuesday, the day she turned 27. His Instagram story read:
"Happy birthday to Kingston's mom. Thank you for everything you have sacrificed and done for our son.”
The post included a family photo taken on the Los Angeles Rams’ practice field. According to the New York Post, the image was from Monday, when Nacua and Aiono were seen sitting on the field with their son, Kingston. Nacua covered Kingston’s face with a blue heart emoji.
Nacua’s birthday wish came as a surprise given the accusations Aiono has made, but it also arrived as he continued preparing for the opener. While training for Week 1, he also took part in a Bat Mitzvah recently, roughly nine months after he got in trouble for his antisemitic gesture.
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