Arizona Cardinals Rivals Suffer Massive Blow to OL

The Arizona Cardinals consistently face off against Los Angeles Rams OT Alaric Jackson, widely considered to be one of the best at his position.

They may not have to in 2025.

As reported by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Jackson is dealing with blood clots.

Arizona Cardinals' Rivals May Lose Alaric Jackson

From Rapoport:

"#Rams OT Alaric Jackson, a key member of the O-line who just signed an extension, is dealing with blood clots once again, per The Insiders. Similar to what he had in 2022. While the belief is he’ll play in 2025, there are still questions. That explains the DJ Humphries signing."

Jackson recently inked a three-year, $57 million extension with the Rams after entering the league as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2021. He slowly but surely fine-tuned his game and emerged as a cornerstone of Los Angeles' offensive line.

Alaric Jackson's Absence Could Cause Problems for Los Angeles Rams

From Rams on SI's Brock Vierra:

"In recent weeks, the Rams have added both D.J. Humphries and David Quessenberry to their offensive line.

"As things currently sit, Humphries, Quessenberry, AJ Arcuri, KT Leveston, Warren McClendon Jr, and Trey Wedig, will be competing for the starting job and two backup positions as the Rams and Jackson figure out what will be their long term plan regarding his health.

"With Jackson's expected absence, this throws a wrench in the Rams' ability to run the football. Jackson was a dominant force up front for the Rams, helping Kyren Williams achieve two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and now Williams' contract extension negotiations take a new dynamic."

The Cardinals and Rams are set to meet twice during the 2025 regular season, once in Week 14 and lastly in Week 18.

The two sides split the season series in 2024.

What Alaric Jackson Absence Could Mean for Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals truly revamped their defense in numerous ways, most notably in the front seven.

Arizona signed OLB Josh Sweat and DL Dalvin Tomlinson/Calais Campbell in free agency before adding DL Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson and OLB Jordan Burch in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Now, the Cardinals could possess a top ten unit in the league that can dominate the line of scrimmage, and the Rams not having Jackson is a potentially huge hole for not only when they face the Cardinals, but also their overall chances of repeating as NFC West champions.