"Drowning": Puka Nacua breaks his silence on his rehabilitation and alcoholism ahead of potential NFL discipline

Puka Nacua’s rise from fifth-round pick to one of the NFL’s most productive receivers has been remarkably fast.

The Los Angeles Rams star now says the pressure that came with that ascent, combined with changes in his personal life, contributed to a period he describes as the darkest he has experienced.

In a pre-recorded Netflix interview with Elle Duncan, Nacua spoke candidly about entering rehabilitation during the offseason and acknowledged that alcohol had become a way of avoiding problems rather than confronting them.

“I think, one, alcohol was definitely a thing for me,” Nacua said. “Just kind of drowning myself so that the issues and the stress that I was feeling never had the opportunity to be addressed.”

Treatment, he said, finally created space for conversations he had been unwilling to have.

“But right when I entered the rehabilitation center I was able to have open and honest conversations.”

Nacua says isolation became part of the problem

The 25-year-old explained that his rapid NFL success and the birth of his first son added responsibilities he did not always know how to process.

“I would kind of isolate myself, to feel like the weight of all the issues and things that were stuck on my shoulders,” Nacua said. “Not being willing to ask for help.”

He added: “I was never one to share my fears, my worries, I was always finding different ways to escape from that tension or stress.”

Those admissions come against the backdrop of separate off-field allegations.

A woman filed a civil lawsuit in March alleging Nacua bit her and another woman during an incident on Dec. 31, 2025, while intoxicated and made an antisemitic remark. The lawsuit remains pending, and the allegations have not been established in court.

Nacua had previously apologized after making a gesture during an online livestream that was criticized as invoking antisemitic stereotypes.

His attorney, Levi McCathern , said Nacua’s decision to enter a rehabilitation facility in Malibu was not directly caused by the lawsuit, though he acknowledged that media coverage surrounding the receiver was “certainly a contributing factor.”

Possible NFL discipline still remains unresolved

Nacua has reportedly entered a pre-filing diversion process related to possible misdemeanor battery charges. Successful completion of such a program can allow an eligible defendant to avoid prosecution.

That process does not necessarily settle matters with the NFL.

The league has not announced whether it will discipline Nacua under its Personal Conduct Policy, meaning a suspension later in 2026 remains possible.

The uncertainty comes after a dominant 2025 season in which Nacua led the NFL with 129 catches while producing 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. His focus now is what comes next personally.

“I’m looking forward most to becoming a person that I think my son will be proud of,” Nacua said. “These are the darkest times that I’ve had in my life.”

He added: “As my son gets older, I can share with him some of the things I’ve learned from the mistakes that I’ve made.”