Rams update over OT Alaric Jackson raises hope for start to season

The Los Angeles Rams have faced adversity in the past. Adversity seems to be a recurring theme for this team. Every year seems to hold some enclave of injuries and misfortunes, but since the team has won Super Bowl LVI, the frequency and severity of unfortunate circumstances seem to be increasing.

Still, if you had to place a face on overcoming adversity, and doing so against all odds, one player comes to mind. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson is not only familiar with adversity, he's made an NFL career out of overcoming it.

Offensive tackle Alaric Jackson is a huge, powerful man. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 345 pounds, the veteran offensive lineman has been a success story whose tale rivals that of The Blind Side's Michael Oher. Jackson was not selected in any NFL Draft. Instead, he was signed by the Rams after the 2021 NFL Draft. Projected to hear his name on Day 3, this burly alumnus from Iowa fell because offensive line talent was abundant that year.

But even without getting drafted, he showed up as a rising rookie star in training camp. And four years ago, we recognized the true starting potential he brought to the NFL. It didn't take long for him to earn the starting left tackle job.

It's deja vu all over again

While he fought hard to earn the starting left tackle job, Jackson has had to fight another battle, too. In 2022, he was benched for the final half of the season while he battled a medical condition over blood clotting. That cost him multiple starts, and certainly caused uncertainty. But by 2023, he was healthy, medically cleared, and returned as the team's starting left tackle.

Fast forward to 2025, and he must battle the same blood clot issue that threatened him in 2022. The good news is that he recognized the symptoms early. And unlike 2022, the Rams had plenty of advance warning, which allowed the team to reinforce the roster with veteran left tackle DJ Humphries.

The other silver lining to all of this is that the team, physicians, and Alaric Jackson himself have had a significant amount of time to diagnose and treat his condition. While there is no ETA on when Jackson may be medically cleared for football, the team is approaching this situation with patient and deliberate care to ensure that Jackson is cared for.

Coach McVay gives promising update over Alaric Jackson

Of course, fans are eager to know where the team stands in terms of Alaric Jackson suiting up in time for Week 1. While we still do not have a definitive answer, the latest update from Rams Head Coach Sean McVay seems to be quite promising for several reasons. Here is what he had to say about Jackson's current status:

McVay shared that the team and Jackson "what he will be able to do in the meantime is some individual drills with Reggie (Scott) and his group, some of that will do with coaches, and some of the jog throughs, but the actual physical stuff he will not partake of right now."

The Rams are not placing Jackson on a PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) or an NFL (Not Football Injury) list, which affords the team greater flexibility to manage and interact with Alaric Jackson throughout his recovery.

Because he is not moving to an alternate roster designation, the Rams are leaving the door open to Jackson's return after being medically cleared. And in the meantime, the Rams have a competent veteran left tackle in DJ Humphries to handle the workload in training camp until Jackson returns.

Considering where the team was just one month ago, this is all very promising news. The team has a care plan in place. Alaric Jackson will continue to participate in non-contact walkthroughs and jogs. And best of all, getting Jackson back in time to start in Week 1 is still on the table.

It's not great news, but considering the alternatives, this is as good as it could have been hoped for. As always, thanks for reading.

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