Does Steve Avila still have a starting job when he comes off of IR?

The Rams offensive line has a B Limmer of hope

After an experiment that lasted less than six months, the Los Angeles Rams eventually decided that Steve Avila is not their center of the future. Switching Avila and big time free agent signing Jonah Jackson right before Week 1, the Rams have essentially now pegged Jackson as the center of the right now and Avila was moved back to left guard. However, both Avila and Jackson ended up on IR, opening the door for players on the depth chart to prove that they’re more worthy than the team could give them credit for.

It doesn’t usually happen that way. With rookie center Beaux Limmer, it could be happening that way.

A sixth round pick out of Arkansas, Limmer’s never been treated like a sixth round pick. He was called a steal at the time, but a lot of players are “steals” when they don’t end up going in the first three rounds, right? I mean, until they prove to be failures, they’re steals. It’s not easy to be drafted so even players who go outside of the top-200 are very talented. Just ask Puka Nacua.

If anything, Limmer was drafted into a horrible situation for a rookie center because he was following Avila, a second round pick in 2023, and Jackson, an expensive addition. It seemed like only multiple injuries could give him a chance. Then there were almost immediately multiple injuries. In just 151 snaps, Limmer’s already being praised as one of L.A.’s most dependable offensive linemen and a player who might be too good to replace now.

Jonah Jackson missed most of the offseason with a scapula injury and then he went on IR after aggravating it in Week 2. Let’s say that he returns six weeks after his injury, he will return around Week 9’s game against the Seahawks.

Avila had surgery on his MCL and Sean McVay thinks November is a potential timeline return date. The Seahawks game is on November 3rd.

Let’s say that Jackson is activated in Week 9 and Avila is activated in Week 11. And let’s say Beaux Limmer is healthy. If he continues to play as well as he’s played, is there any way for McVay to muddy the picture by putting Avila at guard and Jackson at center? If Jackson returns before Avila, he’ll already be working at left guard, not center. You’d have to move two players for one returning player and then also potentially taking one of your best players off of the field.

The answer is as simple as you think it is.

If Limmer is on fire, Steve Avila won’t get his starting job back. If the Rams need offensive line help, Avila could be a nice midseason boost. But long-term, it’s really interesting to think what could happen if Limmer keeps the job, as Jonah Jackson is too expensive to go anywhere and Avila certainly didn’t predict this when he was an early second round pick.

Nobody predicted it.

Well, except maybe the people who thought Limmer was too good of a steal.