By admin The Los Angeles Rams have been preparing for their Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, with the expectation that WR1 Puka Nacua will be available.
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Tuesday that might not be the case, with the NFL still reviewing allegations that the star receiver bit a woman and made antisemitic remarks during a New Year’s Eve incident.
Nacua’s status for Australia in question
“Cases that I believe are now being reviewed include that of the Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who could potentially face discipline for some of the offseason headlines that accompanied him and some of those incidents last year with another woman – what did and didn’t occur,” Schefter said. “We’ll leave that to the NFL to figure out what did and didn’t happen, but it’s possible that when the Niners and Rams play in Australia, it’s within the realm of options that Puka doesn’t play in that game.”
While the legal process plays out, Nacua has stayed focused on football during training camp, doing the right things as he enters a contract year. Speculation persists that these off-field issues are the reason the team hasn’t shown urgency in extending him.
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McVay addressed that at the NFL’s 2026 Annual League Meeting.
“The play on the field is amazing, and then with what the play has dictated and determined, there is a responsibility in terms of representing all things, not exclusive to just that,” McVay said. “He knows that. Those are the expectations, and we’re hopeful that … this will be an opportunity for him to learn and grow, and we are hopeful that he’s a Ram for a really long time. But he understands what the responsibility is, not exclusive to just the production on the field.”
Last season, Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions, finished second with 1,715 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, helping the Rams reach the NFC Championship Game. He finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Nacua is a major reason the Rams may have the league’s most talented offense, and losing him for even one game wouldn’t be ideal.
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We’ll see what the NFL decides as the season opener approaches.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 12:35 PM.