The Los Angeles Rams brought in Pro Bowl offensive guard Jonah Jackson as their premier free agent signing of the 2024 offseason. Jackson spent the first four years of his career with the Detroit Lions, but opted to join the Rams and reunite with Matthew Stafford, the quarterback he protected during his rookie season.
But in his first training camp with the Rams, Jackson has not been participating much. He appeared to suffer some sort of upper body injury, and the Rams had not specifically said what he was dealing with. But it appears the Rams don’t have to worry about being without their starting guard for too long.
The 27-year-old is expected to miss the preseason with a bruised scapula, but could be back for the season opener when the Rams face his former Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Sources: Rams starting guard Jonah Jackson, who was spotted on the sidelines today with his left arm in a sling, is expected to miss this preseason due to a bruised scapula, but he has a chance to return for the start of the regular season vs. his former Detroit Lions team. pic.twitter.com/htTdy1yjJM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2024
The Rams would obviously love to have Jackson back in action for the season opener against the Lions, especially as injuries begin to pile up in other places on the roster as well. However, at this stage of the preseason, injuries cannot be rushed, especially for a team with playoff aspirations.
There are still 39 days to go until the Rams season opener, which is plenty of time for an injury of this nature. But with Jackson expected to be a star anchor for the Rams offensive line in 2024, getting him back as soon as possible would be ideal for building the chemistry of the front five.
Rams aren’t rushing Darious Williams back
It has been a difficult week for the secondary of the Rams. First, Derion Kendrick suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. Then, Darious Williams suffered a strained hamstring, leaving head coach Sean McVay to scramble and find a backup option in the form of Jerry Jacobs.
Hamstring strains are typically tricky injuries, as recovery times can be wide-ranging and re-injury risks are high if a player returns too soon.
Because of that, McVay and the Rams have no plans to rush Williams back, knowing that there is still a long way to go before the season starts and that L.A. cannot afford to lose him for the season as well.
