The Los Angeles Rams have gone out of their way to capitalize on the flexibility they had to improve their roster around Matthew Stafford, but fellow Super Bowl champion and starting left tackle Alaric Jackson looms as the potential mitigating factor.
Jackson is facing a legal situation that could result in a suspension, which would be his second in three seasons. He has also dealt with health concerns during his tenure.
All of that has left the Rams treading on thin ice.
Alaric Jackson Situation Looms Large for Rams
GettyThe Los Angeles Rams’ offseason plan could be undermined by Alaric Jackson’s situation.
Despite Jackson’s situation, The Athletic’s Mike Jones listed the Rams among the “winners” of the 2026 offseason, which not only included adding Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to bolster the defense in support of Stafford, but also a revised contract for the reigning MVP.
Still, there is no escaping the significance of potentially losing Jackson, who has been accused of a domestic violence incident by a woman who is pregnant.
“What’s the plan at left tackle?” The Athletic’s Nate Atkins wrote on June 30.
“This was an offseason of mostly positive vibes for the Rams,” Atkins wrote. “But they suddenly have a giant question at left tackle. Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and the potential now exists for him to be suspended a second time under the league’s personal conduct policy. If he has to miss time, who fills in at left tackle?
Atkins ran through the Rams’ list of options, saying, “Given that Stafford is 38 and managing a degenerative back issue, this has become the primary question for a team currently favored to win the Super Bowl.”
The Rams have various in-house options. They could also explore a sparse free agent market or seek out another trade partner.
Few, if any, of those would replace what Jackson has been for the Rams so far.
An undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2021, Jackson went from being a reserve on the Rams’ Super Bowl team as a rookie to starting all 45 of the regular-season games and all six postseason contests over the past three seasons.
Alaric Jackson Weakening ‘Win-or-Else’ Approach
GettyAlaric Jackson has created as an unexpected hurdle for the Los Angeles Rams.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer underscored just how significant a loss Jackson would be for the Rams amid their Super Bowl push.
The Rams are the prohibitive favorites in preseason odds, per Vegas Insider.
“Five years ago, with the arrival of Matthew Stafford, the Rams pushed their chips in and welcomed the pressure of a win-or-else year,” Breer wrote on June 30, comparing LA’s team in 2021 to their 2026 squad. “They’re back there again now.”
Breer added that there are “few questions to answer” for the Rams in training camp.
“One, though, will be the status of left tackle Alaric Jackson,” Breer wrote. “Losing him would be a very big deal.”
There are no guarantees that the NFL will suspend Jackson or that he will face any further legal ramifications. He has already seen the charges against him reduced from a felony. However, the organization faces the matter of public perception as well as personnel.
After Stafford, 38, navigated back issues last summer, Jackson looms large for the Rams.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Rams Face Significant ‘Question’ About Super Bowl Champion appeared first on HEAVY.