The injury bug is biting the Los Angeles Rams often and hard in the early going of training camp 2024, and unfortunately multiple of absences have been concentrated along the offensive line.

How are the Rams and Sean McVay shifting duties upfront in order to account for the injuries to left tackle Alaric Jackson and left guard Jonah Jackson?

First, Alaric Jackson’s ankle injury seems to be fairly short-term based on the information shared by McVay. Joe Noteboom has stepped in for Jackson as the starting left tackle in practice, though he also has the flexibility to kick inside once Jackson is healthy and returns. The Rams must feel fortunate that they were able to re-negotiate Noteboom’s contract to keep him around as the sixth offensive linemen this offseason instead of cutting him outright to save against the cap. While Noteboom hasn’t been the heir apparent to Andrew Whitworth as once expected, he still has a wealth of experience in this offense and is a valuable depth piece.

The left guard spot seems to be more of an open question mark, but Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports AJ Arcuri and Zach Thomas have repped both tackle and guard spots on the left side of the line in replacement of the Jackson’s:

When Jackson returns, Noteboom can slide one spot over to left guard as Jonah Jackson recovers. Players who have also repped in the left guard and left tackle spots in camp include A.J. Arcuri and Zach Thomas.

A complicating factor in shifting the duties on the offensive line is the fact that LA is asking second-year lineman Steve Avila to change positions from left guard to center. It would seem unwise to move Avila back to guard in order to fill in for Jonah Jackson short-term, though rookie sixth round pick Beaux Limmer seems to be a promising player that could step in at center.

It’s still unclear whether Jonah Jackson will miss the season opener against the Detroit Lions, but the Rams have time to plan and to formulate contingency plans. If Jackson is still out by the time the regular season rolls around, then Alaric Jackson at left tackle followed left to right by Noteboom, Avila, Kevin Dotson, and Rob Havenstein is still their best starting combination. LA should keep their fingers crossed that Alaric Jackson is able to return short-term and then not have any repeated issues moving forward.

It’s also worth mentioning that Havenstein received a veteran rest day on Wednesday and sat out practice. This is standard for the older, more seasoned players on the Rams roster and this shouldn’t raise many flags.

Still, the Rams spent the offseason pouring resources into the offensive line. In the early going of training camp, they are facing a great deal of adversity during a time where they should be developing chemistry and building momentum ahead of the regular season.

Is it time to be concerned about the Rams offensive line?