The Los Angeles Rams are facing growing uncertainty entering the 2025 season due to Matthew Stafford’s ongoing health challenges and critical injuries within their offensive line. After restructuring Stafford’s contract following the 2024 season, the team now confronts doubts about whether he and key players can stay healthy enough to maintain their competitiveness.
Stafford, a two-time Pro Bowler, helped lead the Rams to ten regular-season wins in 2024 and nearly guided them to the NFC Championship Game. However, concerns over his durability and the health of offensive tackle Alaric Jackson cast shadows over the team’s prospects.
Matthew Stafford’s Performance and Physical Challenges
Despite his advancing age, Stafford delivered a solid statistical season in 2024. He completed 65.8% of his passes, throwing for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions during the regular season. In the playoffs, he maintained a 63.4% completion rate with a 533-4-0 line, demonstrating continued effectiveness under pressure.
However, Stafford has battled various injuries and physical wear over the past several years, leading to open speculation about his future. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin highlighted Stafford’s situation, noting that while the quarterback’s skill set keeps the Rams in contention,
“if Stafford can’t stay upright to feed new weapons like Davante Adams, well, there could be big trouble in Los Angeles.”
Alaric Jackson’s Medical Setback Raises Stakes for Rams
A crucial part of the Rams’ offensive line and Stafford’s protection, left tackle Alaric Jackson, has been diagnosed with blood clots again, a condition he first experienced in 2022. This medical issue threatens to sideline Jackson and leaves his availability for the 2025 season uncertain.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on June 13 that although the expectation is for Jackson to return, significant questions remain about his health and timeline. Head coach Sean McVay described the situation as “unfortunate” and emphasized its seriousness while praising Jackson’s proactive communication about his symptoms.
McVay explained,
“He is such a stud, and what Alaric has done, and what he’s kind of been through. You go back to the ‘22 season, and he had these blood clots, and when you hear that it’s such a serious thing, and you’ve got to get on the appropriate medicine. And so, what I do think is great is he was able to communicate he was feeling some things in his lower leg, and he ended up going and getting a scan, and it revealed that that was the case.”
On Jackson’s recovery outlook, McVay added,
“You pray for him to be able to have a healthy, safe recovery, and we’re really just taking it a day at a time with him. There’s a lot of examples of people that have had situations like this, but they’re all still so uniquely independent in their own right. And so, we’re gathering information. What we did want to be able to do in the meantime was be proactive about a contingency plan.”
Protection Concerns and Backup Plans for Stafford
During the 2024 season, Stafford was sacked 28 times, which was among the lowest sack totals in his NFL career, thanks in part to strong offensive line play. The Rams allowed the sixth-fewest sacks as a team, with Alaric Jackson playing a key role in that success.
With Jackson’s health in question, the Rams have turned to former NFC West rival D.J. Humphries, previously with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, to fill the vulnerable left tackle spot. McVay expressed confidence in Humphries as a short-term replacement, stating,
“D.J. is a guy that we have a lot of respect for. Obviously, familiarity with him just playing against him, and he’s a veteran. And so, felt like that was definitely the right move for our team in the meantime.”
While Humphries only played in two games during the 2024 season due to injuries, he outperformed Jackson in pass protection according to Pro Football Focus data from 2023, offering some reassurance for Stafford’s protection moving forward.
Depth at Quarterback and Team Outlook
Behind Stafford, the Rams’ quarterback depth chart includes Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennet IV, and Dresser Winn, all of whom provide backup options but lack Stafford’s proven experience and leadership. With the Rams banking on Stafford’s ability to stay healthy, the uncertainty surrounding both the starting quarterback and offensive line injuries creates instability ahead of the coming season.
Given the combination of Matthew Stafford’s injury history and Alaric Jackson’s medical setback, the Rams face a pivotal offseason of preparation and strategic planning. Their success in 2025 will largely depend on the ability of Stafford to avoid injury and for the team to manage critical offensive line vulnerabilities, particularly with the integration of Humphries at left tackle.