‘Drowning myself’: Puka Nacua opens up about struggles with alcohol

The Los Angeles Rams, the heavy Super Bowl favorites entering the season, opened the year in the NFL’s first-ever game in Melbourne, Australia, against the San Francisco 49ers. The majority of the attention the Rams have gotten this offseason has been centered on the defensive line, which was bolstered by the acquisition of the NFL’s single-season sack record holder Myles Garrett and the return of Aaron Donald from retirement.

However, Los Angeles also has one of the most potent offenses in the league, with reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford passing to two of the best wide receivers in the league, Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. Unfortunately for Nacua, he’s been caught up in some off-the-field trouble recently.

Ahead of kickoff on Thursday, Nacua sat down with Netflix’s Elle Duncan and spoke candidly about his struggles wth alcohol.

“I think I learned that I’m very avoidant of conflict, which is very interesting due to the football nature of… I would like to say I play very physical, just avoidant of the things that I know were causing me stress,” Nacua told Duncan.

“Just, I think some of the change in lifestyle that came up to me, becoming a public figure, the stress of performing at a high level,” he responded after being asked what was causing him stress. “And then I recently became a father. My son is 10 months old. And navigating that co-parenting relationship with his mother, I would kind of isolate myself to feel like the weight of all the issues and things that I have was stuck on my shoulders, and not being willing to ask for help. I was never one to share my fears and my worries. I was always Finding different ways to escape, I guess, from that tension or that stress.”

Puka Nacua opened up about turning to alcohol to cope with the pressures of stardom.

“I was always finding different ways to escape… alcohol was definitely a thing for me.”

Now, the #Rams WR says he wants to become someone his son can be proud of.

(via @NetflixSports) pic.twitter.com/VToMvRw7Ra

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 10, 2026

“I think one, alcohol was definitely a thing for me,” he added about how he looked to escape, “just kind of drowning myself so that the issues and the stress that I was feeling never had the opportunity to be addressed. But right when I entered the rehabilitation center, I was able to have open and honest conversations.”

“As it sits right now, at 25 years old, with your whole life in front of you, what are you most looking forward to about who you’re becoming?” Duncan asked.

“I’m looking forward most to, um, becoming a person that I think my son will be proud of.”

Nacua led the NFL in first downs a season ago with 80 of them. If he can stay focused and out of trouble, there’s nothing stopping him from having an offensive player of the year caliber campaign this season.

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