LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams huge receiver Puka Nacua has checked in to rehab, his legal professional, Levi McCathern, advised The California Submit on Wednesday.
Final month, a girl in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit towards Nacua alleging he made an “unprovoked antisemitic assertion” on New Yr’s Eve and later bit her on the shoulder.
“He was in [rehab] a considerable time frame earlier than any of those allegations broke … and he is scheduled to be there for some time longer,” McCathern advised The California Submit.
The lawsuit filed towards Nacua cites gender violence, assault and battery, and negligence. Final month, McCathern stated in an announcement obtained by ABC Information that Nacua denies the allegations within the lawsuit “within the strongest attainable phrases” and that he has video proof that “underscores” that the plaintiff’s “conduct and actions are inconsistent with the allegations being made.”
McCathern stated Nacua goes to rehab in an try “to enhance his general conduct in each side of his life.”
McCathern stated in an announcement to NFL Community that Nacua “will full this system in loads of time to be concerned in the entire Rams OTAs.”
On the NFL’s annual league assembly earlier this week, coach Sean McVay stated the Rams have been conscious of the incident because it occurred on New Yr’s Eve and are “persevering with to collect all the knowledge.”
“However man, you guys know, I belief this child’s coronary heart,” McVay stated. “Love him, put your arm round him, need to proceed to assist him develop and actually get all the suitable info earlier than I form of rush to judgment on that specific scenario.”
In December, Nacua issued an announcement apologizing for performing a gesture on an web livestream that was “antisemitic in nature and perpetuated dangerous stereotypes towards Jewish individuals.” Nacua stated “on the time he had no thought” of the character of the gesture, which has been related to antisemitic themes.
A fifth-round decide in 2023, Nacua is now eligible to signal a contract extension. Because the Rams have these discussions, McVay stated Nacua understands the duty of representing the group.
“The play on the sector is wonderful, after which with what the play has dictated and decided, there is a duty by way of representing all issues, not unique to only that,” McVay stated. “He is aware of that. These are the expectations, and we’re hopeful that that’ll be one thing that this will probably be a possibility for him to be taught and develop.
“And we’re hopeful that he is a Ram for a extremely very long time, however he understands what the duty is, not unique to only the manufacturing on the sector.”
Within the wake of the Seattle Seahawks making Jaxon Smith-Njigba the highest-paid receiver in NFL historical past, Rams basic supervisor Les Snead was requested whether or not he’s hesitant to signal Nacua to a big contract extension.
“Proper now, we’re simply targeted on the human being after which we’ll get to that step,” Snead stated. “We’ll let him proceed changing into.”
