Alaric Jackson will indeed be avoiding a trip to free agency. The fourth-year left tackle was known to be making progress on a new deal, and one is now in place. 
Jackson and the Rams have agreed to a three-year contract, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. This will be a $57MM pact including $35MM in guarantees. Instead of hitting free agency, Jackson will now be on the books through the 2027 campaign.
The former UDFA took over from Joe Noteboom as the Rams’ preferred left tackle ahead of the 2023 campaign. Noteboom’s efforts to serve as Andrew Whitworth‘s long-term successor did not go according to plan, opening the door for Jackson to step in. The latter has started all 29 of his appearances across the past two campaigns.
Jackson earned a PFF grade of 66.6 during his first full campaign atop the depth chart. That left plenty of room for improvement, but the Rams made a short-term commitment to him via the second-round RFA tender last offseason. That move allowed him to collect $4.89MM during the 2024 campaign; the 26-year-old’s play certainly allowed him to command a much more lucrative pact this time around.
Showing improvement in pass protection in particular, Jackson graded out as PFF’s 18th-best tackle in 2024. It thus comes as no surprise he represented a key offseason priority for the Rams. Shortly after an agreement was reached which will keep quarterback Matthew Stafford in the fold for at least 2025, the team has additional cost certainty on offense.
12 offensive tackles are currently attached to an AAV of at least $20MM. Jackson’s deal checks in at $19MM per season, confirmation that he does not have the track record of many of the blockers ahead of him in the financial pecking order but also a strong commitment on the part of the Rams that he will continue developing over the life of the deal. Details on Stafford’s new pact are not yet known, but it is safe to assume Jackson will remain in place through the team’s transition to a new starting QB.
The right tackle spot could be a question mark in the future for the Rams since Rob Havenstein‘s $11.5MM-per-year deal will expire after the 2025 campaign. Regardless of whether or not the 32-year-old is retained past the coming season, though, Jackson’s medium-term future is now secure. The Windsor, Ontario native will look to justify this lucrative investment while remaining a key figure up front for Los Angeles.
The Rams can now turn their attention to sorting out their interior O-line situation. 2024 free agent signing Jonah Jackson has been given permission to seek a trade, having been benched midway though his debut Los Angeles season. A parting of ways could be on tap in that situation, but Alaric Jackson will remain a mainstay on the blindside for years to come.
I thought he was getting closer to 70. What a great day for Les