LOS ANGELES -- Less than three months after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lower leg, Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson said he expects to play Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The blood clots first showed up on an ultrasound on June 9, Jackson said.
"And from there to now, [it's been an] up and down rollercoaster," he added.
Jackson reported to training camp in late July but had only been able to take part in individual drills and walk-throughs or jog-throughs while he was on medication to help the blood clots. Before he was cleared for "head-on-head contact," Jackson said, he was able to do almost everything else, including running, biking, lifting and plyometrics.
On Wednesday, Jackson practiced in full for the first time.
Rams coach Sean McVay said earlier in training camp that Jackson communicated with the team that he was "feeling some things in his lower leg," which led to the ultrasound that showed the issue. McVay said earlier in the week that while Jackson has returned to practice, the injury will be something Jackson and the Rams will "have to manage."
Jackson, speaking to the media for the first time since he and the team discovered the blood clots, said Wednesday that he will have an ultrasound after every game to check on the blood clots and is evaluated daily by the Rams' medical staff.
Jackson has dealt with a similar situation before; he missed the final nine games of the 2022 season due to blood clots in his lungs. Jackson said while the situations are similar, the blood clots in his lungs were "provoked."
"This was more so unprovoked," he said. "It happened in my lungs in '22. This time, it was kind of just like out of nowhere. ... So a little different, but kind of the same thing."
Jackson, who is entering his fifth season, signed a three-year, $57 million contract with the Rams in February before he could hit free agency.
McVay has praised the way Jackson handled the situation throughout training camp and said he has taken "great care of himself."
"He's done everything in his power to be ready to go," McVay said. "This has always been the end goal in mind, is to be ready to go against the Texans. It's a great challenge. We know what a great team they have as a whole and especially great defense, but I do believe that we'll be at our best with him out there."