Puka Nacua's challenging offseason puts WR, Rams in tricky contract situation

Woodland Hills, CA – Sean McVay is regarded as one of the top coaches in the NFL, so it was suitable for the Los Angeles Rams coach to cite one of the best coaches in American history this week in response to a question regarding Puka Nacua.

"I've been open with him and we've talked about this previously. I think the most important thing is when you're reminded of why you do this, it's to shine the light on others," McVay said. "It's such a blessing to do this job. And don't get me wrong, we're competitive. You love the mastery of what this game entails and helping guys improve.

"Coach (John) Wooden used to say, ‘If you want to see people's jump shots improve, let's coach their hearts, and I bet the jump shot will improve in the meantime.' We want to be transformational, and I think that's way more important. Who are we becoming as a result of what we're doing while also trying to be great football players and a great team? I think better people make better Rams and there's carry over into personally and professionally."

It was poignant wisdom from the late legendary UCLA basketball coach who led the Bruins to 10 NCAA national championships. And timely for McVay and the Rams amid Nacua's challenging offseason.

Nacua is facing a civil lawsuit. He's accused of biting a woman on the shoulder after a group dinner in the Century City area of Los Angeles on Dec. 31, according to a the suit filed with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County March 25. The woman also accused Nacau of making an antisemitic statement during the dinner.

The lawsuit came after Nacau used an antisemitic trope during a livestream appearance in December. He later issued an apology in which he admitted he had "no idea" the act was antisemitic in nature.

Puka Nacua lawsuit update

Nacua declined to elaborate about the current legal matter with reporters at organized team activities on Thursday, May 28.

"With it being an ongoing legal battle and out of respect for the other party involved, I don't really have much to speak about," Nacua said. "It's a moment for me to learn from some of the situations I was putting myself in and then also having just an awareness of how I'm conducting myself on and off of this football field."

Nacua's lawyer said he completed a rehab program after the lawsuit was filed. These off-field events have come at an inopportune time as he enters the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for a lucrative extension.

On the field, Nacua's statistics warrant a contract that exceeds or is at least in the ballpark of Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's record-breaking four-year, $168.6 million deal. Nacua joined Smith-Njigba as a 2025 first-team All-Pro after he led the NFL with 129 receptions. Nacua has compiled 313 catches, 4,191 receiving yards and 19 touchdown catches in 44 career games, and he's the fastest player in NFL history to reach 300 career catches (43 games).

Yet, Nacua's recent off-field issues have put the Rams in a tricky situation. Teams want to trust a player on and off the field before they dole out such a large investment.

"I'm not too sure," Nacua answered when asked where things stand with his contract situation. "I know that my job is to come up here and to be with the guys and go out there and compete every single day. That's been kind of my mindset. If I can continue to improve as a person, I know that the coaches and the people around me are helping me improve as a football player. So those are the things that I can control and then hopefully allow those other things to handle themselves."

Nacua's contract situation will inevitably get resolved. Right now, though, it appears the Rams want to see Nacua's growth off the field, whether he's learned from past events.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Puka Nacua's challenging offseason puts WR, Rams in tricky contract situation

Reporting by Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 12:13 PM.