Los Angeles Rams Now Face 3 Critical Offensive Line Decisions

The Los Angeles Rams currently had one of the league’s most expensive offensive lines in the league last year. The result? In short, it was not commensurate with the payroll. Pro Football Focus graded the Rams as the 30th-ranked pass-blocking unit and the 22nd run-blocking unit.

Heading into the 2025 season, this has to be a priority and this centers around three key decisions — Left tackle, right tackle, and Jonah Jackson.

Los Angeles Rams Offensive Line Questions

Alaric Jackson Free Agency

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While the acquisition of Andrew Whitworth in 2017 proved remarkably successful, replicating that success at the left tackle position has been a complex undertaking. Joe Noteboom initially tabbed as Whitworth’s successor in 2021, has struggled to regain his pre-injury form after tearing his Achilles in 2022, relegating him to a swing tackle role.

For the past two seasons, Alaric Jackson has occupied the starting left tackle position, with the exception of a two-game suspension in 2023. His performance has been a mixed bag. NFL Next Gen Stats reveal that Jackson allowed only two sacks in 2024 while engaging in one-on-one blocks 82% of the time—both figures exceeding the league average. Conversely, his pressure rate (9%) and quick quarterback pressure count (10) hovered closer to the league average for left tackles.

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Jackson’s athleticism is undeniable, and a young left tackle with starting experience is a valuable commodity in free agency. However, he isn’t universally regarded as a top-tier talent in his position. This presents a dilemma for the Rams. Their focus remains on maximizing the remaining years of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career, and no clear successor to Jackson currently exists within the roster. The Rams’ coaching staff deserves credit for developing Jackson into a starter, but replicating that feat at such a crucial position, especially given Stafford’s age, is a daunting task.

While the $25.6 million franchise tag may seem excessive for Jackson, it could be a viable option for the Rams to secure his services for another year and buy time to further evaluate his long-term potential.

Navigating Rob Havenstein’s Big Contract

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The Rams are going to be looking at ways to increase their buying power for the upcoming free-agency period. This will include renegotiating their biggest contracts, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, and right tackle Rob Havenstein.

Nearing his 33 birthday and coming off an injury-riddled season, in which he missed six games, Havenstein is mulling retirement. In the event, he decides to come back, both sides will want to come to the negotiating table. 2025 is a defacto final year of his contract and it contains no guaranteed money.

Havenstein had one of the best years of his career when on the field and with no succession plan in place, the Rams are relying on him heavily. With that, Havenstein has tremendous leverage in the negotiation. But the question will be how much can he squeeze from a Rams team that has many issues to resolve.

The Jonah Jackson Folly

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The Rams face a complex situation with offensive guard Jonah Jackson. After signing Jackson to a substantial three-year, $51 million contract last offseason, to play left guard — moving sophomore Steve Avila to center. Right before the season that was flip-flopped. Jackson’s 2024 season was derailed by injury, ultimately costing him his starting role. While the Rams could explore integrating him back into the starting lineup in 2025, their current interior offensive line appears set with Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson at guard, and Beaux Limmer at center.

Jackson’s contract presents a significant financial hurdle. Similar to Cooper Kupp’s situation, Jackson has a guaranteed roster bonus in 2025, this one totaling $8.5 million. He is also due a $9 million base salary. While the Rams would likely prefer to alleviate themselves of these financial obligations, finding a team willing to absorb the full contract seems improbable, even considering the recent upward trend in the guard market. A more realistic scenario involves the Rams facilitating a trade, potentially by absorbing a portion of Jackson’s salary, similar to their approach with Allen Robinson in 2023. This strategy would allow them to move on from Jackson’s contract while minimizing the financial impact.