Why Alaric Jackson's Contract With the Rams Is The Best Deal in the NFL

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have a premier left tackle in Alaric Jackson and after Laremy Tunsil reset the market for the position group, here's why the Rams are getting top value over Jackson's deal.

Jackson's Contract Compared to Others

Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame detailed Tunsil's deal and the work Tunsil has put in to earn his lofty contract.

"Tunsil is a five-time Pro Bowler," stated Verdermame. "In his first year with Washington, Tunsil played only 14 games but is still getting paid top dollar and is signed for the next three seasons. This contract could hold up or age poorly, especially if durability becomes an issue for Tunsil, who will turn 32 in August."

Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) stands on the field on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Tunsil, a first-ballot Hall of Fame bag getter, has virtually reset the market every two years due to the way he structures his deals and then negotiates extensions while under contract. It's a brilliant strategy, but the result is that the market keeps increasing due to Tunsil's negotiation tactics, as well as other negotiations with top players in the NFL.

Last offseason, Jackson signed a three-year deal that came out to an average annual value of $18.7 million. Tunsil earns $30.1 million per season. Those savings of over $11 million per season have helped the Rams do some creative accounting in order to stack their roster with talented players.

Jackson Leads From the Front

The winner of the Ed Block Courgae Award, Jackson overcame his issues with blood clots to put in a spectacular season, where he played a pivital role in keeping Matthew Stafford clean during Stafford's MVP campaign. He also helped Kyren Williams record his third 1,000 yard season.

Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke about Jackson during his end-of-year presser.

“Consistency," stated McVay. "I think consistency is the truest measure of performance. He's consistently played at a really high level. He's shown a mental toughness, a fortitude and a physical toughness. I think that we've only continued to get to know him better and how to be able to help him continue to thrive. He's an intrinsically motivated guy. He works really hard, does a lot of individual work on his own body maintenance, extra time with [Director of Strength and Conditioning] Justin Lovett and the strength coaches."

"He's always out there after practice pouring into younger guys or doing some different things and he just wants to be great. He's in the position to continue to ascend. I thought he was outstanding for us. I think he's only going to continue to build. I was really proud of him and I'm happy for just the growth over time."

"When you look at the amount of things that he did when we found out about some of those things he was going to have to overcome just from a medical perspective and for him to do what he did in the absence of a lot of the work that's necessary to callous your body and sharpen your skills, it's a tremendous tribute to him. It's a tremendous tribute to the doctors as well and his ability to be able to follow suit. Awesome job. He was a stud for us this year.”

Alaric Jackson. Ultimate Value.