Rams Left Tackle Alaric Jackson Arrested on Felony Domestic Violence Charges in West Hills
The Los Angeles Rams have a major problem at left tackle. Alaric Jackson, their starter, was arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a domestic battery call in the 7400 block of Cliffside Court in West Hills, California, at 10:46 p.m. PT on Monday. Per NBC4, investigators said the woman at the scene had scratch marks on her arms. Jackson allegedly tried to take her phone out of her hand because he thought she was recording him.
Jackson was booked at the Van Nuys Community Police Station at 4:24 a.m. and was released later that morning after posting $50,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for June 30 in Los Angeles. The Rams have not yet released a statement.
This is the latest in a brutal week for the NFL on the off-field discipline front. Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper was also arrested on domestic violence charges in Denver this week. Both incidents are now in the hands of the league office, which can hand down independent discipline regardless of how the criminal cases resolve.
The NFL personal conduct policy gives commissioner Roger Goodell broad authority to suspend players for off-field incidents. There is no requirement that a player be convicted of a crime for the league to act. The standard is whether the conduct was “detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL.” That is a low bar, and incidents involving domestic violence allegations have triggered six-game baseline suspensions for the last decade.
Jackson is in real trouble.
The Rams are in trouble too. Jackson has been the team’s starting left tackle for the last two seasons. He has been a solid, occasionally excellent, anchor on the blind side. Replacing him in mid-June is not an easy task. The Rams have second-year tackle Beaux Limmer on the roster, but Limmer is a guard prospect, not a tackle. The free agent tackle market is largely picked over.
The Rams could go shopping. There are still some veterans out there who could fill in for an extended Jackson absence. Trent Brown is still available. Bobby Massie has been working out for teams. The trade market is thin but not empty.
None of those names are starting-quality at left tackle for a team that thinks it has a playoff roster. The Rams currently project as a wild-card contender in the NFC West, and the offensive line is one of the team’s two strengths along with Puka Nacua and the receiver room. Losing the left tackle blows up the entire offensive plan.
Then there is the human side of this. Jackson, the woman involved, and their families are now in the middle of a public legal proceeding that is going to be ugly no matter how it plays out. The Rams will need to make a decision about how to handle Jackson during the legal process. Some teams suspend the player. Some teams release the player. Some teams let the legal process play out and react after.
Goodell typically waits until either charges are formally filed or the investigation completes before issuing his own discipline. That can take months. Jackson could be available to play for the Rams in Week 1, or he could be on the commissioner’s exempt list by training camp. Both outcomes are on the table.
What is not on the table is normal. The Rams just lost the certainty of having their best offensive lineman ready to go in 2026, and the off-field consequences for Jackson are about to get a lot worse before they get any better.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
