WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Nearly three months after offensive lineman Alaric Jackson signed a lucrative three-year extension with the Rams, he was diagnosed with blood clots for the second time in his career.
"I was in shock honestly for a while. I was done with football," Jackson said. "That was more for me. But now we have a good plan ahead of us so I'm in a good space now about it overall."
When training camp started a month-and-a-half later, Jackson was able to participate in walkthroughs and individual drills, but worked off to the side with a trainer when team period started. On Wednesday, he returned to the live team portion of practice for the first time since last season.
"He's done everything in his power to be ready to go," said head coach Sean McVay. "This has always been the end goal in mind, is to be ready to go against the Texans."
Jackson said he expects to play on Sunday and is "not surprised" by that reality, even though his status was in doubt for some time. Vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott along with other team trainers and outside specialists helped Jackson get his body right ahead of Week 1, and will continue to help him manage the blood clots throughout the year.
The first time Jackson dealt with blood clots, they were "provoked clots" that formed in his lungs. This time, they were "unprovoked" and formed in his lower leg, meaning they just popped up "out of nowhere," Jackson said, as opposed to in relation to some sort of external stimuli. That contributed to his shock upon hearing the news.
His rehab workouts included running, working on the VersaClimber machine, biking, lifting and plyometrics. They ramped up as he progressed, but he wasn't permitted to engage in head-on-head contact because of the medication he was taking, which ruled out live reps.
"(It was) definitely tough (not being able to practice fully) for sure," Jackson said. "Just staying the course, though, being patient, trusting the Lord, trusting the staff of course, and following the plan."
As McVay said on Monday, this condition is something they will have to monitor throughout the year.
Jackson will have to get ultrasounds after every game, continue with regular tests and fill out a QR code every day to keep his status updated. He also reached out to Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard for advice on how he's handled blood clots throughout his NBA career.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was in the same boat as Jackson during training camp, as he was sidelined with a back injury. When they worked out together, Stafford was impressed by Jackson's dedication to returning to the field as soon as possible.
"He's handled it like an unbelievable professional," Stafford said. "I'm so proud of him and happy for him. Obviously, unfortunate when you have to deal with stuff like that, but he's done a hell of a job behind the scenes... Seeing what he's doing and how he's been taking care of business, I mean, that's what you want from your guy."
Retaining Jackson ahead of free agency this past offseason was "a huge priority" for McVay because "he's earned the right" to a long-term contract extension. The same commitment to his craft that helped get him a contract has shined through during in his rehab process.
"He's taking great care of himself and he's put himself in a rare position that I do believe to step in and play at a good clip," McVay said.
