Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive lineman Alaric Jackson have not been placed on the commissioner's exempt list.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive lineman Alaric Jackson have not been placed on the commissioner's exempt list, meaning they will remain counted on the final 53-man roster, even if they are suspended.
Thus far, the list contains Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love, Seattle Seahawks' Terrion Arnold, and Denver Broncos' Jonathan Cooper. Additionally, NFL insider Tom Pelissero has stated that no additional players will be added to the list today, which includes Nacua and Jackson.
That does not mean that the pair of Rams starters will not be placed on the list, but they are not thus far. The Rams are currently awaiting word on what may happen to the key starters based on their off-field incidents that occurred.
Nacua is currently in the middle of a lawsuit regarding an incident that took place on New Year's Eve, where the Rams receiver is alleged to have bitten a woman, who is now suing him.
Nacua may receive a suspension from the NFL for violating the personal conduct policy, but he might also not due to this being his first offense in terms of off-field trouble.
Jackson's case may be a bit different, as he was arrested in early June during what was initially reported as a domestic incident. Since then, it was revealed that the offensive lineman will not face felony charges for the incident.
The issue for Jackson is that this is the second time he has been arrested. The first time was during the 2024 season when he allegedly recorded a woman without consent, leading to her filing suit and reporting the incident to the NFL.
Jackson was suspended for two games in 2024 due to the incident. With his having been arrested for a second time, the league may look at him as a repeat offender and enact a much harsher punishment.
This is all just speculation, but both Nacua and Jackson not being placed on the commissioner's exempt list could pose some problems.
The first problem being that both would have to be carried on the 53-man roster, and would effectively remove two roster sports for the Rams to either keep a roster bubble player now, or potentially sign someone else to take their spots for however long they both may be suspended for.
There is also the potential Aaron Donald return that could complicate things a bit more, given that he would also take up a roster spot of a younger talent attempting to make the team.
Either way, the Rams should get word soon on whether or not Nacua and Jackson will be suspended, as they must plan for their travel to Australia to kick off their first game of the 2026 NFL season.
