Los Angeles Rams All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua is in rehab and was there before he was sued for assault and battery by a woman who says he made an antisemitic statement and bit her on the shoulder on New Year’s Eve, according to his attorney.
“He was in (rehab) a substantial period of time before any of these allegations broke… and he’s scheduled to be there for a while longer,” Levi McCathern told The California Post.
McCathern told the newspaper Nacua’s decision to enter rehab was not a direct response to the lawsuit his accuser filed against him late last month, but an attempt “to improve his overall behaviour in every aspect of his life.”
The civil lawsuit, filed in March in Los Angeles, also cited gender violence and negligence.
Nacua led the NFL in catches last season
Plaintiff Madison Atiabi and her attorney, Joseph Kar, claim Nacua made an antisemitic exclamation that emotionally distressed her when they were together on New Year’s Eve.
She says Nacua bit her and left teeth marks on her shoulder when they were in a van together later in the night, and she claims Nacua also bit her friend’s thumb.
McCathern previously strongly denied that Nacua made any antisemitic statements. He described the bites as “horseplay.”
Nacua issued an apology last December after performing a gesture that plays upon antisemitic tropes while appearing on an internet livestream.
Nacua has been one of the most productive receivers in NFL history over his first three seasons with the Rams, who drafted him in the fifth round out of BYU in 2023. He led the league with 129 catches last season and had 1,715 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.
Nacua is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Rams this offseason.
McCathern added that Nacua “will complete the program in plenty of time to be involved in all of the Rams OTAs (organised team activities).”
The Rams are eligible to start their off-season workouts from April 20, while official training camps get under way in July, ahead of the start of competitive action in September.
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