With AJ there are so many unknowns it's hard to guess what will happen. But just to look at a few scenarios ...
What if the NFL does nothing? Best case scenario, the Rams have their LT locked up for the next 2 years and can concentrate on 2027 and the other 4 OL positions.
What if the NFL suspends Jackson and his actions are determined to violate the conduct clauses in his contract? The Rams could terminate his contract and at least get out from under his salary, roster bonus, and per game bonuses in '26 and '27. This would free up nearly $40M in cap space. The Rams could also try to recoup the prorated signing bonuses for '26 & '27 and if they are successful in that they would get another $10M in cap relief. $40M or $50M over 2 years would go a long ways towards paying Decker to play LT.
What if the NFL suspends Jackson and his actions aren't considered a violation of the conduct clause (or they are a violation but the Rams opt not to terminate his contract). In some ways this is the worst case scenario. The Rams would either:
1.) play someone already on the roster at LT for what could be a 6 game suspension, weakening the LT spot while also thinning out their depth. They would probably sign a FA LT on the cheap just to have a body and we will all hold out collective breaths for 6 weeks.
2.) sign someone like Decker or trade for a quality LT (while keeping AJ on the books), and either move would diminish their ability to restock the team next year by eating up additional cap space or draining even more draft capital. Or both.
AlbaNY_Ram
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2026 09:24AM by AlbaNY_Ram.
