The Rams have their top free agent back in the fold, announcing Alaric Jackson signed his RFA tender. The transaction places Jackson under contract for 2024 and sets up an important year for the young blocker’s long-term future.
The rare UDFA to move into a role as a starting left tackle, Jackson received a second-round RFA tender in March. That entitles him to a $4.89M salary. Unless he and the Rams agree on an extension before the season, that will be the Iowa alum’s 2024 salary.
Only Jackson and 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings received second-round tenders this offseason.
Jackson, 25, usurped Joe Noteboom as the Rams’ left tackle last year, starting 15 games. Expected to remain in that role in 2024, Jackson has a big opportunity ahead.
Barring an extension before the 2025 legal tampering period, Jackson is ticketed for unrestricted free agency next year.
Mid-April annually brings a deadline pertaining to RFAs. This year, the last date for RFAs to sign offer sheets with other teams looms on April 19.
The league did see an offer sheet extended this offseason — the 49ers’ Brock Wright effort — but the Lions matched it. Although Jackson has shown himself to be a more important player, the Rams placing a second-round tender on him scared off other teams regarding an offer sheet.
Had the Rams failed to match a Jackson contract proposal, they would have received a second-round pick as compensation.
Although the Rams signed Noteboom to a three-year, $39M deal to succeed Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, he could not retain the job. Entering last season, Jackson had beaten out the former $13M-per-year player — Noteboom has since taken a pay cut — for the blindside gig.
Pro Football Focus slotted Jackson as a mid-pack tackle in 2023, ranking him 43rd at the position.
As of now, a notable crop of LTs are due to be 2025 UFAs.
Ronnie Stanley, Taylor Decker, Garett Bolles, Jedrick Wills, Cam Robinson and Dan Moore are unsigned beyond 2024. So are 2021 first-rounders Christian Darrisaw and Rashawn Slater, though that will almost definitely change once the Vikings and Chargers respectively pick up their blind-siders’ fifth-year options.
The Rams now have two big-ticket guard contracts on their payroll, via the Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson signings, so it will be interesting to see how they proceed with Jackson. Longtime Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein is signed through 2025.
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