PHOENIX — Rams coach Sean McVay is taking a hopeful stance on star wide receiver Puka Nacua, whose recent off-field decision-making has landed him in hot water.
That includes a New Year’s Eve incident in which he allegedly bit a woman and made anti-Semitic comments. The woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the record-breaking wide receiver as a result.
McVay said the club has known about the incident for months, and acknowledged they are still sorting out all the details before speaking about it in detail.
But he also expressed support for the Rams’ record-breaking wide receiver.
“What I will say, knowing this guy for three years, is, I do trust his heart. I trust the human being,” McVay said at the NFL’s annual league meetings in Phoenix Monday. “And I want to be able to put my arm around him. I think one of the most important things that you can do as a coach is help guys grow, and you don’t ever really say there’s one size that fits all. But what I have really leaned into the last couple of years that I think you guys can feel is, let’s build and develop relationships. Let’s help guys continue to grow.”
That said, McVay also indicated that Nacua must also be aware of the responsibilities of playing professional football on a high-profile teams.
It’s a reminder McVay delivers to Nacua in their conversations.
“Let’s have an understanding of what the expectations are and who you can become and who you want to become,” McVay said. “And I think that we’re very aligned in that.”
Obviously, there is a lot at stake for Nacua both personally and as a team member. As one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL, the Rams’ passing game essentially flows through Nakua.
But he is also up for a new contract extension, one that is expected to make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. As he and the Rams delve further into negotiations, the huge investment the club is making in Nacua has to line up with the full picture of him as a player and human being.
McVay said that his close relationship with Nacua is strong enough to have those types of conversations.
“We communicate clear open and honest,” McVay said. “The play on the field is amazing, and then 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 that’ll be something 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.”
