Alaric Jackson

Introduction

Alaric Jackson, the 28-year-old starting left tackle for the Los Angeles Rams, was suspended two games without pay by the NFL on October 13, 2026 for striking Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb in the face during postgame jersey exchanges after the Bills’ 37-34 overtime win at SoFi Stadium the night before — and Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed the fourth-year lineman intends to appeal . It is the third conduct incident of his professional career to attract league-level scrutiny, and the first to end in discipline from the punch itself: he served a two-game NFL suspension in 2024 for violating the personal conduct policy, and he was arrested in June 2026 on suspicion of felony domestic violence in a case referred to a pre-filing diversion program without criminal charges being filed . The suspension will cost him the Rams’ October 18 game against Arizona and October 25 game against Las Vegas, with eligibility to return to the active roster on October 26 .

Background Information

Jackson is a Windsor, Ontario-born offensive tackle with dual Canadian-American citizenship who did not start playing football until his junior year of high school in Detroit and played college football at Iowa, where he was a freshman All-American, a multi-year All-Big Ten selection and a second-team All-American in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in May 2021, won Super Bowl LVI as a rookie, and was diagnosed with blood clots in 2022 before working his way back into the starting lineup. His discipline record predates the punch: Iowa suspended him for the 2018 season opener for violating team rules, the NFL suspended him for two games in 2024 under the personal conduct policy, and his June 2026 arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence ended without charges through a pre-filing diversion program.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Suspended. The NFL suspended Jackson without pay for two games for unsportsmanlike conduct — striking Bradley Chubb in the face after a game, a violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 — and McVay confirmed Jackson will appeal under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The June 2026 domestic-violence arrest led to no criminal charge and remains an unadjudicated allegation.

The confrontation came moments after the Bills’ 37-34 overtime win, in which Buffalo’s comeback was sealed when Gregory Rousseau blocked Harrison Mevis’ potential game-winning 48-yard field goal before Josh Allen drove the Bills downfield for a 45-yard winning kick. As Buffalo celebrated, several players from both teams stayed on the field for postgame jersey exchanges: Jackson was trading his jersey with Buffalo’s Deone Walker while Chubb, per CBS Sports, was talking trash toward him. Jackson then walked over to the Bills’ pass-rusher, the two went face-to-face, and after Chubb appeared to put his hand on Jackson’s face, Jackson responded with a quick right hand that appeared to connect. A to Z Sports’ review of the footage described it as a closed-fist swing thrown after Chubb had begun to walk away, with Jackson following him down the field before turning him around; teammates from both sides separated the pair before it escalated further. The league’s own announcement fixed the sequence: after the game, as players were shaking hands and exchanging jerseys, Jackson struck Chubb in the face after a brief confrontation — conduct the NFL ruled contrary to Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

Coverage the morning after the punch was uniform in its expectation of discipline, and it arrived the next day: Yahoo’s Touchdown Wire had written that Jackson “should expect to get an envelope from the league later this week” — the envelope was a two-game ban without pay . McVay, confirming the appeal to reporters, stopped short of condemning Jackson without knowing what Chubb had said but made his frustration plain: “He has to consistently do a better job. It certainly doesn’t help us when we’re missing a player of his caliber,” and “I’m not condoning by any stretch of the imagination, but I want to gather all the information before I make comments” . Chubb, who was restrained by teammates after the incident, told The Post: “They always catch the second guy, so I let him swing and my teammates held me back and I just chilled,” adding that his trash talk had been aimed at “just the whole team” rather than Jackson specifically . Jackson has not publicly commented on the incident or the suspension.

Current Status

Jackson’s two-game suspension, announced by the league on October 13, 2026, bars him from the Rams’ games against the Cardinals on October 18 and the Raiders on October 25, with the league setting October 26 as his eligibility date to return to the active roster . Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement he may appeal, with any appeal heard by one of the jointly appointed hearing officers — Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash — and McVay said Tuesday it is his understanding Jackson will do so . The June 2026 domestic-violence case remains closed without charges, having been resolved through the pre-filing diversion program, and no civil suit has been reported.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The suspension makes the availability cost concrete: the Rams, off to a 2-3 start, play two division-relevant games without the player protecting Matthew Stafford’s blind side, and McVay’s “he has to consistently do a better job” was the coach saying publicly what the roster math already showed . The broader damage is cumulative: a 2024 personal-conduct suspension, a 2026 arrest resolved only through diversion, and now the league’s first on-field discipline of his career give the NFL a three-point pattern to weigh against any future incident . This page will be updated if the appeal ruling or further discipline changes the picture.

Sources

NFL Football Communications, “Alaric Jackson Suspended Two Games,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
NY Post, “Rams’ Alaric Jackson to appeal two-game NFL suspension for punching Bills’ Bradley Chubb,” Oct 14, 2026 — source
NY Post, “Rams’ Alaric Jackson punches Bills’ Bradley Chubb after OT loss, faces possible NFL suspension,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
CBS Sports, “Rams left tackle throws punch at Bills’ Bradley Chubb following Buffalo’s stunning Monday night win,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
Yahoo Sports / Touchdown Wire, “Rams’ Alaric Jackson throws punch at Bills’ Bradley Chubb after game,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
A to Z Sports, “Bradley Chubb catches more than just a win after Rams player sucker-punches him following Buffalo Bills’ victory on Monday night,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
Wikipedia, “Alaric Jackson” — source