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Puka Nacua opened up about "drowning himself in alcohol"
Puka Nacua opened up about his turbulent offseason in an interview with Netflix ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Nacua recalled “drowning himself with alcohol” during an offseason that was the “darkest time of his life.”
Speaking to Netflix ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, Pro Bowl wide receiver Puka Nacua opened up about using alcohol to cope with the pressure of sudden stardom, co-parenting, and having to perform at an elite level.
Nacua found himself at the center of numerous controversies last season and during the offseason, such as engaging in antisemitism, trying to bring streamers into the Rams’ facility without permission, and allegedly biting a woman. His behavior was so erratic that many NFL fans thought it was the result of CTE and were calling him “the next Antonio Brown.”
Puka Nacua recalled turning to alcohol to cope with the pressures of NFL stardom during the “darkest time of his life”
“Just, I think, some of the change in lifestyle that came unto me, becoming a public figure, the stress of performing at a high level,” Nacua said of the pressures he faced.
“And then I recently became a father. My son is 10 months old, and navigating that co-parenting relationship with his mother, I would kind of isolate myself to feel, like, the weight of all the issues and things that I have was stuck on my shoulders and not being willing to ask for help. I was never one to share my fears, my worries. I was always finding different ways to escape, I guess, from that tension or that stress.”
“I was never one to share my fears, my worries. I was always finding different ways to escape from that tension, that stress,” he continued. “I think one, alcohol was definitely a thing for me. Just kind of drowning myself so that the issues and the stress that I was feeling never had the opportunity to be addressed.”
Puka Nacua opened up about turning to alcohol to cope with the pressures of stardom.
“I was always finding different ways to escape… alcohol was definitely a thing for me.”
Now, the #Rams WR says he wants to become someone his son can be proud of.
(via @NetflixSports) pic.twitter.com/VToMvRw7Ra
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 10, 2026
The string of incidents prompted Nacua to enter a holistic rehabilitation center earlier this year, which he described as giving him space to be “honest.”
“I was able to have open and honest conversations,” Nacua said about his time in rehab.
“I’m looking forward most to becoming a person that I think my son will be proud of… and as my son gets older, I can share some of the things that I’ve learned from the mistakes I’ve made.”
The incident with the woman, Madison Atiabi, has not resulted in any criminal charges, but a civil trial is set for March 2028. Nacua is also in the process of complying with a “diversion program,” according to ProFootballTalk.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Nacua has commenced the steps required to resolve potential misdemeanor charges through a diversion program. The specific procedure being utilized under California law does not entail an agreement to do so in advance. Instead, the person embarks on the process of fulfilling the requirements. If/when he does, the charge will be simultaneously acknowledged and dismissed.”
Nacua — who will need to be on his best behavior this season as he’s in a contract year — had five catches for 74 yards in the Rams’ 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Melbourne. Earlier this year, Seattle Seahawks star pass catcher Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL with an average annual value of $42.15 million. Given the start to Nacua’s career, he’ll be looking for numbers in that same neighborhood, if not higher.