Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stood by Puka Nacua amid the wide receiver’s latest scandal.
Nacua has been accused of biting a woman and using an antisemitic slur during a group outing on New Year’s Eve in the Century City area of Los Angeles. The woman also filed for a temporary restraining order, which has since been dropped.
The wideout has denied the allegations, which included claims that he also used antisemitic slurs during dinner, and has threatened to retaliate with a defamation lawsuit.
It wasn’t the first time Nacua has faced accusations of antisemitic behavior. In December, he faced significant backlash and later issued an apology after appearing on a livestream with streamer Adin Ross, during which he performed a gesture widely criticized as antisemitic.
The Rams are waiting for the legal process to play out, but McVay did address the situation during the annual league meeting on Monday.
Following the latest scandal, the coach expressed confidence in the 24-year-old as both a player and a person once again.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stood by wide receiver Puka Nacua
The 24-year-old has been accused of biting a woman during a New Year’s Eve outing
‘You guys know, I trust this kid’s heart,’ McVay said, via NBC Sports. ‘Love him, put your arm around him, want to continue to help him grow. And, really, get all the appropriate facts before I rush to judgment on that particular situation.
‘But I will say, knowing this guy for three years, I do trust his heart. I trust the human being. And I want to be able to put my arm around him.’
However, McVay did admit that there have been conversations within the franchise over Nacua’s future, given that he is heading into the last year of his four-year rookie contract.
‘Puka would be the first to tell you, he and I have a close relationship. We communicate clearly, openly, and honestly,’ McVay said.
‘The play on the field is amazing, and with what the play has dictated and determined, there’s a responsibility in terms of representing all things – not exclusive to just that. He knows that. Those are the expectations. And we’re hopeful that will be something that, this is 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.’
While McVay did acknowledge the pressures of being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age, he insisted that he believed Nacua was equipped to handle it.
‘I also think he’s built to be able to handle it,’ he added.
‘I think that in a lot of instances, when you have the right heart, when you have people like his mom, his brothers, his coaches, his teammates – you’ve got a lot of people who love him and want to be able to help him continue to grow,’ McVay continued.
The woman attached this photo of the bite mark allegedly left by Nacua in court documents
McVay expressed confidence in his star wide receiver as both a person and a player
‘And, shoot, I had the same thing. I think about a lot of instances, even in this role, you’re growing up in the midst of it, becoming a man. And that’s exactly what we’re witnessing with him. And I want to help him become the best human being he can possibly be, because I do believe better people make better Rams. And I trust this kid’s heart, like I said.’
The restraining order petition against Nacua was dropped in California over the weekend as the woman suing him for allegedly biting her has chosen to focus on civil proceedings.
‘In order to focus our efforts on the civil matter that was filed on March 25, 2026, Plaintiff has elected to voluntarily withdraw without prejudice her petition for civil harassment,’ read a statement from Joseph Kar, the attorney representing Nacua’s accuser, Madison Atiabi.
Kar also offered a reminder that Nacua is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department over Atiabi’s allegations, which included claims of antisemitism.
‘While at dinner, and in the presence of Plaintiff and others, Defendant made an unprovoked antisemitic statement, ‘F*** all the Jews,’ read the lawsuit that has been obtained by The Daily Mail. ‘Plaintiff is of the Jewish faith and immediately felt uncomfortable and emotionally distressed.’
According to the lawsuit, the allegedly inebriated Nacua bit both Atiabi and her friend.
‘Without provocation, consent, or warning, Defendant dropped his head into the lap and crotch area of Plaintiff’s female companion and bit her companion’s thumb with such force that her companion screamed in acute pain,’ the filing continued.
‘Shortly thereafter, Defendant turned to Plaintiff and, without provocation, consent, or warning, forcibly bit Plaintiff’s left shoulder, leaving a circular imprint of his teeth on her body and injuring and harming Plaintiff. Plaintiff screamed in pain and tried to push Defendant off of her.’
Nacua’s accuser dropped the restraining order petition against him over the weekend
Atiabi is seeking ‘general and compensatory damages in an amount to be proven at trial’ as well as ‘special damages including medical expenses, past and future, in an amount to be proven at trial.’
Nacua has denied the allegations ‘in the strongest possible terms’ and has vowed to file a defamation lawsuit against his accuser who, his lawyers claim, he had never seen or met prior to the allegations, and has not seen since.
Nacua’s attorney Levi McCathern has accused the woman of trying to ‘blackmail’ the NFL player. McCathern also revealed their plans to escalate the legal war.
‘We will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements,’ he told the Daily Mail.
A photo of the bite mark Nacua allegedly left on Atiabi’s back was included in the restraining-order petition. She previously filed an incident report with police in early January.
McCathern has said the bite mark happened during ‘horseplay’ while the group was partying. He insists nothing more than a ‘temporary mark’ was left.
