The Los Angeles Rams pulled off a surprising trade on Thursday, reacquiring wide receiver Tutu Atwell from the Miami Dolphins after letting him walk in free agency just months ago. In return, the Dolphins received second-year running back Jarquez Hunter. Of course, the elephant in the room is Puka Nacua.
Nacua is facing a civil lawsuit filed in March 2026 alleging an antisemitic remark, assault, battery, and a biting incident. The NFL is reportedly reviewing Nacua's off-field issues, and given how the league has handled similar matters recently, there's a real chance it finds he violated the Personal Conduct Policy. If so, Nacua could miss multiple games this season.
The league hasn't officially announced any discipline, but league insiders say suspension remains a possibility. Given all of that, it's natural to assume the Atwell trade was made with a potential Nacua suspension in mind. But according to head coach Sean McVay, that's not the case.
"It had nothing to do with that," McVay said. "It was exclusively a guy we were familiar with ... We're familiar with Tutu.
It gives us an opportunity to be able to have that speed element, and he can do some different things. It had nothing to do with anything other than just adding depth to the receiver room." More news: Seahawks Lock up Star Defender With Massive $90 Million Extension More news: Jayden Daniels Goes Silent on LSU Beef: ‘I Said Everything I Needed To Say’ Atwell was the Rams' second-round pick (No. 57 overall) in 2021 and spent his first five NFL seasons in Los Angeles, stepping up in key moments along the way. He's long been the Rams' biggest deep threat, and Matthew Stafford trusts him — a key factor here.
If Nacua were to miss time, bringing in a player who already has chemistry with Stafford keeps the offense running smoothly, rather than asking someone new to build that connection from scratch. This is a team contending for a Super Bowl, and with the receiver room already a bit thin, adding Atwell makes sense on its own. But it also makes sense that the Rams are preparing for a scenario where Nacua misses time — regardless of what McVay is saying publicly.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
