Los Angeles Rams starting OT Alaric Jackson was part of a Monday night shootout at SoFi Stadium, a 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills that dropped the Rams to 2-3, but what followed the final whistle ended up outweighing the scoreboard.
Matthew Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns while Puka Nacua set a career high with 17 catches, and it still wasn’t enough against a Buffalo team that added edge rusher Bradley Chubb on a three-year deal this offseason.
The Rams’ offensive line had also played together for all but three snaps this season. After the game, players lingered to exchange jerseys, and the mood shifted when Chubb began jawing in the Rams’ direction.
Jackson, who had just traded jerseys with Deone Walker and was still holding it, went at the edge rusher and punched him in the face before teammates stepped between them.
Now, the NFL has suspended the Rams’ starting left tackle two games without pay, per Ian Rapoport, ruling that his punch violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which covers “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
With the entire sequence on camera, an appeal doesn’t look likely to change much.
Chubb stayed calm afterward. He described the moment as “just emotions” and explained why he never fired back: “They always catch the second guy, so I let him swing and my teammates held me back.”
The timing makes it tougher on Los Angeles, because that offensive line now gets broken up, with David Quessenberry the likeliest fill-in at left tackle.
It’s also the second two-game suspension for the lineman, who missed two games in 2024 after a personal conduct policy violation.
The ban covers the Arizona Cardinals game and the Oct. 25 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, with a return possible on Oct. 26. The Rams host the Cardinals on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium.
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