Alaric Jackson has become a key member of the Los Angeles Rams offensive line over the past two seasons, which is why him being diagnosed with blood clots for the second time in his career is such difficult news for him, the Rams and their fans to hear. The Rams are entering a season where there is a legitimate argument for them to be a top three team in the NFC. And Sean McVay is, once again, looking to help lift L.A. to Super Bowl contention.
But having their starting left tackle on the sideline with blood clots is certainly a difficult pill to swallow. Blood clots are among the trickiest ailments to treat and create a return-to-play plan. In some cases, players can go from diagnosis to being cleared to return within 1-2 months. But sometimes, they can linger and cause a much longer recovery window.
McVay did not want to commit to anything specific when it comes to Jackson’s return, but was clear that a Week 1 return for 2025 is not out of the question, according to Wyatt Miller of TheRams.com:
Head coach Sean McVay said that Jackson will not be on a PUP or NFI list to start training camp, but rather will be limited to individual drills and job throughs, while being held out of more physical offensive line activities. They are taking Jackson’s injury “a day at a time,” McVay said, and will monitor his progress to adapt his training regimen as needed.
“We do have a plan in place that we’re confident in, that most importantly he feels good about, that hopefully leads to him being on the field for us,” McVay said. “… It’s always about the human being first and foremost, but he’s got a lot of people that love him that are with him on this journey.”
While he didn’t want to set expectations for when Jackson could return, McVay didn’t rule out the possibility that he could be ready to play Week 1 against the Texans. They are still in the process of understanding how best to treat Jackson’s blood clots, but McVay said it is a “very real possibility” that he could be ready for the start of the 2025 season if everything goes according to plan.
L.A.’s Week 1 bout with the Houston Texans takes place on Sep. 7, over six weeks from Wednesday. If Jackson is able to make that type of recovery and be ready to go for Week 1, that would represent a fairly rapid return from a blood clot.
However, early detection is key with blood clots. And if Jackson and the Rams found it early enough, that six-week mark may just be doable.
Kyren Williams reports to Rams camp despite contract negotiations
Training camp gets underway for NFL teams this week, which means Rams players are beginning to report to Loyola Marymount.
Among those players was running back Kyren Williams, who is heading into a contract year and has been discussing an extension with the Rams all offseason.
Despite those negotiations that are still ongoing, Williams is present at camp and let it be known that he will be playing this season, even if a new deal isn’t in place.
