Word is the Chicago Bears started to get a feel for how the interior offensive line market would shake out when free agency begins next week. GM Ryan Poles didn't take long to realize it would be financially expensive for his team. As a result, he would have to get creative in finding alternatives. That meant the trade market. His first big off-season move was trading a sixth-round pick to Los Angeles for veteran guard Jonah Jackson, who had a frustrating 2024 season with the Rams.
It made sense on paper. Jackson was a Pro Bowler in Detroit, where he played three seasons under Ben Johnson. He's still only 28 years old. If he can stay healthy and regain his usual form, this could be a steal. What wasn't known was how Jackson himself felt about the idea of joining the Bears. Former scouting director Greg Gabriel reached out to some friends in the league who are close to Jackson. The belief is that the Bears sold him on two key factors: he'd get to reunite with Johnson, and they wouldn't touch his money.
Jonah Jackson will enter 2025 with a chip on his shoulder.
He likely feels wronged by what happened in L.A. The Rams signed him to play guard, went back on their word by trying to move him to center, and then benched him once he was finally healthy. He never really got a fair chance to show what he could do. Joining the Bears must feel like a chance at redemption. The fact he gets to do it under a coach he knows must feel like karmic justice.
From the Bears' perspective, they sit in a good spot. If Jonah Jackson regains the form he had in Detroit, they've just secured a high-level guard with plenty of gas left in the tank. He will be an immediate asset in the running game. If he keeps struggling with health issues, they should be able to release him in 2026 with minimal dead cap to worry about. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
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