​Puka Nacua spent the offseason learning more about himself and how he can’t avoid conflict, despite the fact he’s made a career of embracing contact and stiff-arming defenders on the football field. On the eve of the Los Angeles Rams’ season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Nacua opened up about his struggles with alcohol, therapy and the holistic rehabilitation program he entered following a turbulent offseason that pushed one of the NFL’s brightest young stars into unfamiliar territory.In a revealing pregame interview with Netflix’s Elle Duncan, Nacua acknowledged using alcohol as an escape from mounting pressures in his personal and professional life.“Alcohol was definitely a thing for me,” Nacua said. “Just, kind of, drowning myself so that the issues and the stress that I was feeling never had the opportunity to be addressed.”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, 2026Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua looks on before a preseason NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillFor Nacua, the pressure of becoming an NFL star, coupled with drama in his personal life accumulated quietly. Nacua went from a fifth-round draft pick hoping to make the 53-man roster into a celebrity quicker than it takes to warm the cold side of the pillow following his record-breaking rookie season. Nacua admitted that the instant fame, the demands of consistently performing at an All-Pro level, and becoming a father while navigating the complicated reality of co-parenting took its toll on him.Thankfully, therapy forced him to recognize a pattern underneath it all. “I learned that I am very avoidant of conflict and avoidant of the things that were causing me stress,” he said.Instead of asking for help, Nacua said he isolated himself.“I was never one to share my fears and my worries,” he said. “I was always finding different ways to escape from that tension and that stress.”Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams walks off the field during training camp on August 1, 2026, at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Getty ImagesThose coping mechanisms collided with an offseason filled with troubling allegations and legal problems. Nacua has been accused of biting a woman on the shoulder and making an antisemitic remark during an alleged drunken encounter on New Year’s Eve. His former girlfriend, Hallie Aiono, has also publicly accused him of “extreme betrayal, abuse and complete neglect.” Nacua could still face discipline from the NFL, but was allowed to play in Australia in Week 1 on Thursday. Against that backdrop, h