LOS ANGELES (AP) — Over the past six months, Alaric Jackson went from the high of a life-changing contract extension to the low of a potentially career-threatening problem with blood clots.
With his latest health issue sorted, the Rams' starting left tackle is grateful to be back in practice this week with his teammates — and he's planning to play when Los Angeles hosts the Houston Texans on Sunday.
"I was kind of in shock, honestly, for a while," Jackson said Wednesday in his first public comments about the setback. “I’m in a good space now about it, (but) I thought I was done (playing) for a little bit, at least.”
Jackson missed all of training camp and the preseason because he was required to avoid head-on-head contact until the problem was under control, although he was able to do conditioning and weightlifting. While consulting with his medical team and waiting to be cleared, he also spoke to Damian Lillard for advice and information about the NBA's star's own recent experience with blood clot issues.
Jackson only returned to full practices Monday, but he feels confident he can step back into his job of protecting Matthew Stafford's blind side in Week 1.
“It was tough at first,” he said. “June 9 was the initial point that I knew I had blood clots. From there until now, up and down that roller coaster, and now being here is a great thing.”
Jackson was sidelined three months after he agreed to a three-year, $57 million contract extension with the Rams, who wouldn't allow their homegrown left tackle to leave in free agency.
The contract was a milestone achievement for Jackson, who signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa. He was a backup on the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team in the 2021-22 season.
He started at guard and tackle the following year before his initial struggles with blood clots, which sidelined him for the second half of the season.
Jackson said Monday that he had “a provoked clot” in his lungs in 2022, whereas the current issues were “just like out of nowhere, just unprovoked. A little different, but kind of the same.”
Jackson returned to the Rams in 2023 and seized the starting job at left tackle from Joseph Noteboom. He cemented his place on the line while making 29 starts over the past two seasons, and Los Angeles signed him before he hit unrestricted free agency.
The Rams scrambled for a Plan B after Jackson discovered the blood clot issue, signing veteran tackles D.J. Humphries and David Quessenberry. Los Angeles is carrying 10 offensive linemen on its roster.
But Jackson has received clearance to continue his career, and the Rams are grateful.
“He's handled it like an unbelievable professional,” Stafford said. “I'm so proud of him and happy for him. Unfortunate when you have to deal with stuff like that, but he's done a hell of a job behind the scenes.”
Stafford and Jackson weren’t on the field in uniform much this summer, but they still spent plenty of time together: Stafford missed the first four weeks of camp with an aggravated disk in his back before returning two weeks ago.
“I was kind of behind the scenes for a while doing my own stuff, working out and seeing what he's doing and how he's been taking care of business,” Stafford said. “That's what you want from your guy, and he's done a hell of a job, really his whole career. It's been kind of cool watching him grow into the player and the person he is right now, and I'm just happy for him.”
NOTES: Stafford confirmed he'll start Sunday, and he isn't worried about getting hurt if he takes a hit on his balky back: “Whatever happens, happens. I’m playing like I always play. I've got no issues with a physical game. Obviously, would love to stay as clean as possible, but I’m not thinking twice about that at all.” ... The Rams' injury report was essentially empty Wednesday, with Jackson participating in the full practice.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
FILE - Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson (77) walks on the field during an NFL training camp, July 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Smithsonian Institution gave the White House new documents on its planned exhibits Tuesday in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America’s 250th birthday.
For months, President Donald Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back off “divisive narratives” and tell an upbeat story on the country’s history and culture, with the threat of holding back federal money if it doesn’t. The institution is a cornerstone of American culture, operating 21 museums and a zoo that are among the most popular tourist destinations in Washington.
By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff, in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that “we transmitted more information in response to that request.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received. Bunch indicated there was more to come, saying the institution will continue to engage in providing “relevant and appropriate materials.”
The Trump administration’s intent is to ensure Americans get an positive accounting of the country’s history, not one weighted by complexities or shameful episodes of the past.
The ultimatum was laid out in a Dec. 18 letter to Bunch from the White House budget director, Russell Vought, and the domestic policy director, Vince Haley.
“We wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said.
Americans “will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history, one which is justifiably proud of our country’s accomplishments and record.”
The Smithsonian is not a federal entity but receives a majority of its money from Congress.
The White House initially asked for all relevant materials in September but said documents turned over by the Smithsonian fell far short of what it requested.
In his March executive order, Trump claimed there had been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
As part of that, Trump tasked Vice President JD Vance with overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution. Like other vice presidents, Vance serves on the Smithsonian’s board.
The Smithsonian and the White House did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The prospect of polishing the historical record to satisfy a president is concerning to many who study the past.
“History is about evidence," said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College. “It's about welcoming complexity and nuance. It’s not about crafting a single story that needs to make everyone feel happy.”
Jim McSweeney, a retired archivist from the National Archives, said: “Here’s our history. Here’s our shared experience. We have to learn from it and never go back and try to whitewash or change anything based upon your political leanings.”
In the months leading up to Trump’s order in August for an official review of all Smithsonian exhibits, Trump fired the head archivist of the National Archives and said he was firing the National Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, who maintained the backing of the Smithsonian’s governing board, but ultimately resigned.
Already, references to Trump’s two impeachments have been removed from his photo portrait display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in its “American Presidents” exhibition, though the text was available online.
Administration officials have couched the accounting as work needed before the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which the letter calls “a singular opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America’s leading cultural institutions.”
The Smithsonian review is just one part of Trump's broadside against a culture he deems too liberal.
Trump fired the board of the Kennedy Center, one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, handpicking a new one that voted to add his name to the storied complex’s exterior. In the months since, a number of artists have withdrawn from performances at the venue, some citing the name change and Trump’s involvement.
At the White House, Trump designed a partisan and subjective “Presidential Walk of Fame” featuring gilded photographs of himself and predecessors, with plaques on what they did. He excludes Democrat Joe Biden, who is represented instead by an autopen to symbolize what Trump has described as a presidency in absentia.
At the time, the White House said Trump was a primary author of the plaques, which praised him as a historically successful figure and described Biden as the worst president in history and one who brought the U.S. to "the brink of destruction.”
This story was first published on Jan. 13, 2026. It was published again on Jan. 14, 2026, to correct that Vice President JD Vance was already on the Smithsonian Board of Regents when President Donald Trump directed him to oversee the removal of “improper ideology” from the institution. Vance was not placed on the board to oversee that effort.
FILE - A new sign at the presidential impeachment exhibit in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, on Aug. 26, 2025, describes the counts against President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. The Senate acquitted him in both trials. (AP Photo/Calvin Woodward, File)
FILE - A display in the "Great Debate" section of a democracy exhibit at the National Museum of American History, seen Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington, reflects some of the issues the nation grapples with. (AP Photo/Calvin Woodward, File)
People react to a photograph of President Donald Trump on display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A visitor stops to look at a photograph of President Donald Trump and a short plaque next to it are on display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
