WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The familiar flowing hair has been cut shorter, but it was otherwise the same Puka Nacua running routes and cutting upfield while catching passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford during Thursday's Organized Team Activities (OTA) session, or smiling at reporters when he walked to the podium afterward to speak with local media.

"I'm doing great. It's been a busy offseason, but it's been good," Nacua said Thursday, speaking to reporters for the first time this offseason. "Nice to be back in football and be around a bunch of the guys."

For the Rams wide receiver, these first five weeks of the offseason workout program have been a welcome sense of normalcy and routine.

Nacua expressed gratitude for the support of teammates and head coach Sean McVay since taking the steps to become a healthier version of himself in response to off-the-field incidents. Nacua said he's learned that "it's okay to ask for support," and also to recognize the importance of using the platform he has as a pro football player for the betterment of himself and those around him.

"I've been really grateful for the support from the organization, especially my teammates. People reaching out at different times of the offseason, just, one, checking out how I'm doing, see how my family's doing with my son growing up as he is," Nacua said. "So I'm just really grateful for the people around me and in this organization."

Asking for help was "a little bit of a big hurdle," according to Nacua, pointing to coming from a big family and the 'next-play' mentality that comes with immediately moving on from mistakes when playing sports. He attributed doing so to recognizing for himself because of where he was at, and encouragement from some people in his inner circle.

Nacua said he's started therapy, working with the Rams' team therapist and continuing those meetings weekly. Journaling – including reminding himself of his accomplishments by writing them down – has helped a lot, too. Those steps have provided a "great improvement" in his life, he said.

"There's always been good people around me, but it was always something that was like, man, the wrongdoings or the mistakes I made felt like it was like an internal thing, and never allowing that to really express," Nacua said. "I like to think of myself as a pretty happy, outgoing guy enjoying life, but there also were some of the difficulties of just being in this professional sport, and just throughout my entire life."

On the field, quarterback Matthew Stafford said Nacua has looked "fantastic."

"Happy for him and happy for his success to get back out here and just play the game he loves," Stafford said. "As far as conversations, absolutely, I'm talking non-stop to him. He's a great person, great kid, and just doing everything I can to try and give advice when it's needed, or also just be his buddy, too. I think I'm doing everything I can, I think everybody is to just support him because he's such a special person on our team. Great player, great person, and we're happy that you know he's back doing his thing."

Head coach Sean McVay's perspective on helping Nacua is rooted in "you listen to understand, you communicate to connect," and affording Nacua the same grace he was around the same age.

"I've always talked about just his heart, and he talked to you guys, I think we can all feel the authenticity," McVay said. "I know that when I was younger, and still now, you give people grace, and you try to understand every single thing, and how can you be there to help them continue to just move in the direction that they want, and those things are never-ending journeys. You're always becoming, and I love his security in being able to be authentically honest about it. I think there's real strength in some of the vulnerabilities, and I'm really proud of him. I'm proud of a lot of guys, but I'm really proud of Puka."