The Los Angeles Rams are heading toward Week 1 with one uncomfortable question hanging over them: will Puka Nacua be available, or will the NFL step in with a suspension?
That possibility is still alive even though Nacua was not included in the group of suspensions the league announced last week. And for the Rams, the stakes are obvious.
Losing Nacua would be a major hit to the offense, especially after a season in which a strong case could be made that he should have won Offensive Player of the Year. He’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
The league has been looking into actions tied to New Year’s Eve, and Nacua is also involved in a civil case. In that case, he is accused of biting a woman on the shoulder while intoxicated and then making an unprovoked antisemitic remark.
The legal timeline is part of what makes this messy. Earlier this week, Nacua’s civil trial was pushed to March 2028. The NFL usually waits for the legal process to unfold before making a call, but it also leans on its own investigation, and that could drive the outcome here.
Nacua has admitted to the bite, but he says it was horseplay. That leaves the heart of the matter tied up in context, which is why the situation is still very much a “he said, she said” case.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia could be in jeopardy.
“Cases I believe are now being reviewed include that of the Rams’ wide receiver Puka Nacua,” said Schefter. “It's possible when the Niners and Rams play in Australia, it’s within the realm of options that Puka doesn’t play in that game.”
At this point, the league’s findings are what matter most. The NFL could speak with witnesses and try to sort out what happened, but a lot of the available information remains unverified.
There is an admission from Nacua about the bite, and there is a photo. Even so, his attorney, Levi McCathren, has challenged the photo’s authenticity through the LA Times.
“The marks look more like her back pressed against his face than an actual bite,” said McCathren.
The alleged antisemitic remark is also still unverified. Nacua’s lawyer says there are multiple witnesses who can say he did not make the comment.
The league has dealt with civil-case allegations before. Earlier this year, it closed its investigation into claims involving Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice.
In that situation, the lawsuit alleged a pattern of physical violence and Rice’s former girlfriend posted photos of bruises. The NFL ultimately said there was insufficient evidence that Rice violated the Personal Conduct Policy after the woman signed an affidavit saying the two had a verbal argument, but he did not punch her.
That outcome does not mean Nacua’s case will follow the same path. The two situations are different, but they do share one important feature: both are tied to civil lawsuits rather than criminal charges. That leaves the NFL to decide whether its own investigation uncovers enough to justify discipline.
Another relevant example is Jameis Winston’s 2018 incident, when he inappropriately touched an Uber driver and made an unwanted sexual advance. In that case, the NFL found the driver’s account to be consistent and credible, and Winston was suspended for three games.
If the league does move against Nacua, his rehab check-in could be considered as a mitigating factor. That would not necessarily erase punishment, but it could reduce it, potentially from three games to two or from two games to one. It would also matter that this would be his first offense.
For now, though, the answer remains unclear. Based only on what’s publicly known, it’s hard to say a suspension is more likely than not. The league has not made a final call, and until it does, the Rams have to get ready for Week 1 with at least the possibility that one of their top playmakers won’t be on the field.
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