Rob Havenstein remains the unsung hero and leader of retooled Rams OL

LA Rams starting right tackle Rob Havenstein towers over other players on the football field. Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 323 pounds, he is the tallest player on the Rams roster in 2024. At 32 years old, he is nearly the oldest player on the team as well, second only to veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford (36 years old). He is returning for his 10th NFL season.

And in the face of Aaron Donald's retirement after 10 NFL seasons, you are well within your rights to ask: How much longer can this team count on Havenstein to be content to compete before hanging up his own football cleats and retire?

Well, if the analysis by NFL Insider and analyst Brian Baldinger is any indication, he will be around for a few more years:

Havenstein was dinged up a bit in 2023, but still managed to play in 856 offensive snaps. Of that sizeable workload, Rob Havenstein was flagged for penalties three times, and allowed just two quarterback sacks on the season. So how does he do it? Well, one of the ways that he consistently puts up solide numbers is his ability to work alongside a variety of teammates. But even Havenstein realized that the addition of veteran Kevin Dotson as the team's starting right guard was not only good for the team, but good for his own ability to protect the quarterback.

When the team faced the risk of losing the impressive Kevin Dotson to free agency, he found a strong endorsement in his veteran teammate Rob Havenstein, an endorsement that made it crystal clear that Havenstein thought the world of Dotson, despite the acknowledgement that Dotson had every right to sign a contract to play for as much as possible:

But in doing so, Havenstein made his opinion known quite loudly. He was insisting that the Rams front office extend Dotson.

Well, that is exactly what they did.

Clearly, the team valued the input of the offensive line's senior statesman. After all, while the role at left tackle was passed on from Andrew Whitworth to Alaric Jackson, the baton of leading the offensive line was handed off to Rob Havenstein. And much like Whitworth did after the 2019 debacle that left the injury-riddled offensive line in shambles, Havenstein has led the offensive linemen back from the brink after a similarly disastrous injury-riddled offensive line in 2022.

How much longer will Rob Havenstein lead the offensive line? Hopefully, for years to come. But the team has been quietly building respectable depth for the offensive line. No matter what happens now, the team appears to be ready to handle it.

As always, thanks for reading.