Should Rams Restructure A.j. Jackson Contract?

CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 27: Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle AJ Jackson (77) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on August 27, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A.J. Jackson only missed one game in 2025, an outcome many doubted would be possible after the Rams left tackle spent much of the summer dealing with a blood clots issue. In fact, Jackson has started all but six games at left tackle in the last three seasons combined and he’s now considered one of the most dependable players at his position in the league.

Is that good enough for the Rams to sort of “double down” on Jackson’s contract by restructuring his deal to save some cap space? And is it even necessary?

Jackson recently talked about how much of a blessing it was to play almost a full season despite those issues.

“It was good, man,” Jackson told theRams.com Monday. “It was amazing, for sure. I’m glad was here with the Rams, because they’re a good organization overall. Sean understood, Reggie, (general manager) Les (Snead) and everyone in the whole building understood was going through, they were there for me for the whole time. So that was probably the best thing for me overall, just to have that support system behind me and just play ball. So it felt good to be here and get over the hump.”

Jackson’s contract: $25.3m cap hit

The Rams signed Jackson to a three-year, $57 million contract in 2025. His cap hit was only $8.45 million last season, but that number jumps up by almost $17 million in 2026.

Jackson has the fourth-largest cap hit among all left tackles:

• Trent Williams, $38.9m
• Jake Matthews, $27.2m
• Dan Moore, $26.4m
• Jackson, $25.3m

It’s an amazing accomplishment for a former undrafted free agent.

Should the Rams bring down that number with a restructure?

What is a restructure?

Every year the concept of a contract “restructure” is confused for a re-negotiation or a pay cut. It’s not a negotiation and it’s not a pay cut. It’s merely moving money around to save immediate cap space.

Here’s a brief explanation:

The most simple explanation for a contract restructure is simply taking a portion of a players base salary for a season and converting it into a signing bonus. The player gets their money as the signing bonus at the time of the restructure and reduces how much they are paid throughout the season. In other words, it’s a cash advance which can’t be taken away.

Jackson’s 2026 base salary is a whopping $18.925 million. The rest of his cap hit is a $5 million portion of his $15 million signing bonus and $1.45 million in roster bonuses.

If the Rams restructure his contract—typically a move the team can make without the player’s consent—they would take almost all of that base salary and make it a signing bonus which would then be incorporated into his cap hit over the next two seasons.

The Rams could save up to $8.55 million in 2026 cap space by doing the max restructure of Jackson’s contract.

The down side is that now Jackson’s 2027 cap hit, currently set at $24 million, jumps up to $34 million.

That would be a massive cap hit for Jackson, but also the salary cap will be higher in 2027 than it is in 2026 so it’s a little it easier to absorb.

Do the Rams need it?

To say the Rams do or don’t need it totally depends on how much the Rams plan to do in free agency. L.A. is currently projected at $48.2 million in 2026 cap space, seventh-most in the league but that’s before any teams make any cap moves.

If the Rams make other cap moves, like releasing Darious Williams and/or Davante Adams, they would also be able to save money. They don’t have any free agents who seem imperative to keep but might want to be powerful players on the free agency and trade market; L.A. also has to pay two first round picks, assuming they make both picks, and those aren’t as cheap as you might think.

So do the Rams need it? Only Les Snead can answer that. But if the Rams need $8.5 million in space, there’s one fairly obvious place to go get it.