The Rams' Two Most Important Vets Reporting to Training Camp

With starting left tackle Alaric Jackson facing a scary and uncertain future after a relapse of blood clots, and right tackle Rob Havenstein coming off two shoulder surgeries, Humphries and Quessenberry are next in line to protect Matthew Stafford. They’re also the two players The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue said she’s watching most closely.

“The Rams have been meticulous and resource-forward in rebuilding their offensive line for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford over the last two seasons,” Rodrigue said Monday, “and he will go as they do — and hope that if healthy starters aren’t available, the backups are up to par.”

That’s the first of a few big questions regarding the big men. First, neither Humphries nor Quessenberry were with the Rams before June 7. The Rams quickly signed the veteran free-agent tackles last month after Jackson’s condition resurfaced and Havenstein missed OTAs this past spring.

Second, Humphries wasn’t impressive at left tackle when Kansas City signed him midway through 2024, hoping to mitigate the Achilles’ heel of their Super Bowl team. Returning from ACL surgery that ended his 2023 campaign, he battled hamstring issues with the Chiefs and wound up starting just two games.

One of those starts was a meaningless Week 18 loss at Denver. A former first-round draft pick, Humphries failed to seize a prime opportunity for the eventual AFC champions, who wound up bumping guard Joe Thuney out to left tackle. Humphries, 31, started 98 games for the Arizona Cardinals from 2016-23, primarily at left tackle.

Quessenberry, who turns 35 in August, faced his own health scare 12 years ago when he overcome cancer diagnosed in his second NFL season. Now healthy, the veteran played for the Texans, Titans, Bills and Vikings before joining the Rams in June.

Like Humphries, Quessenberry has experience at both left and right tackle. More importantly, the veteran has familiarity in Sean McVay’s base offense, the same foundation employed by former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, where the tackle spent the past two seasons.

Rodrigue mentioned the Rams also have been trying to develop Warren McClendon and K.T. Leveston – a pair of Day 3 draft selections. They’ll likely give each of those younger players plenty of opportunities to emerge on the offensive line this preseason.

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