Alaric Jackson's one-game suspension still strains thin Rams depth chart

The Los Angeles Rams may have dodged serious ramifications when Alaric Jackson partially succeeded in appealing his two-game suspension, which was reduced from two games to one. That's the good news. The bad is that even a one-game absence puts pressure on the Rams' depth chart.

And what depth there is may not be adequate.

After all, two key backups, rookie tackle Keegan Trost and guard Justin Dedich, have been nursing injuries since the start of the season. Veteran David Quessenberry, a backup swing tackle, is the next man up behind Jackson.

It's not just at tackle. The Rams' overall lack of o-line depth has established the versatile but untested Bill Murray as the backup for left guard Steve Avila.

If the roster seems overly thin at key offensive line positions, blame the team. After all, LA distributed 12 roster spots between five tight ends and seven receivers on the initial 53-man unit, limiting openings for offensive linemen.

If not for Jackson's suspension, they may have gotten away with it.

Rams hope David Quessenberry can do the job in Week 6

Quessenberry is a solid 36-year-old veteran who has seen action in 102 games and 30 starts over a 10-year career. His most active season was 2021 when he started at right tackle for the Tennessee Titans.

He joined Los Angeles in 2025, appearing in five games with no starts. The Rams deemed his performance sufficient to bring him back this season.

They have leaned heavily into 12- and 13-personnel since last year, which should help Quessenberry. A tight end can be devastatingly effective even when chipping at an eager pass rusher. Veteran Tyler Higbee is stitching together an impressive season as both a blocker and a pass-catcher, catching 20 of 25 targets for 224 yards and a touchdown.

Quessenberry should also benefit from the overall strength of his teammates up front. Among quarterbacks who have five or more starts, only the Raiders' Fernando Mendoza (0), the 49ers' Brock Purdy (3), and the Cowboys' Dak Prescott (5) have endured fewer sacks than Matthew Stafford.

And Stafford has been averaging over 43 passes per game.

The Rams need every win they can muster. Missing Jackson is no excuse. Bottom line, they must defeat the Cardinals in Week 6 if their playoff hopes are to be taken seriously.

As always, thanks for reading.

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