Hearing officer Derrick Brooks reduces Alaric Jackson's suspension to one game

Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson will be suspended for sucker punching Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb. But Jackson won’t miss two games.

Hearing officer Derrick Brooks has reduced Jackson’s suspension to one game on appeal.

It’s possible that Jackson’s case included evidence regarding the provocation from Chubb that preceded the approach. Chubb may have said something that made the punch less unreasonable. Or not so unreasonable to support a two-game suspension.

Jackson will still serve a one-game suspension, missing Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. At a base salary of $16.822 million, he’ll lose $934,555.

That may have been a factor in the final decision. Apart from the time missed, Jackson was looking at losing nearly $2 million on a two-game suspension.

Regardless, Jackson is fortunate to be missing only one game. He punched Chubb minutes after the game ended. Hot blood should have cooled by then. And Jackson likely would have been arrested if he’d done it in the parking lot instead of in the middle of the field.