Jonah Jackson Reveals Why Ben Johnson Pushed So Hard To Trade For Him

The Chicago Bears had one objective above all when the off-season began. They had to fix the offensive line. Allowing 68 sacks and ranking 25th in rushing illustrated how bad things were up front. New head coach Ben Johnson couldn't hope to roll out his well-known offense until he had the blockers necessary to execute it. So he and GM Ryan Poles crafted a plan to find them. The first move in Johnson's mind was the most obvious. They called the Los Angeles Rams and worked out a deal for guard Jonah Jackson. Chicago flipped them a 6th round pick for his services.

It wasn't hard to see why the Bears did it. Jackson worked with Johnson for three years in Detroit, making the Pro Bowl in 2021. The head coach likely felt that kind of talent would make things better immediately. However, the 28-year-old guard believes there was a more important reason Johnson wanted him in Chicago. He explained to Tyler Dunne of Go Long TD.

“What I bring to the offensive line room, in a leadership role, is my work ethic, my effort and strain down-in and down-out,” he says. “I feel like my ability to gel the group together, we always used to joke around and call me the glue: Elmer’s Glue. Bringing the group together as a tough-nosed O-Lineman ready to work and protect the guy behind me.”

It has often been complained the Bears have lacked a true leader on the offensive line since Kyle Long retired. Perhaps Johnson sensed the same thing.

Jonah Jackson can fill a critical void.

Every good era of Bears offensive line play over the years is characterized by at least one presence who is a great leader. It was Jay Hilgenberg in the 1980s, James "Big Cat" Williams in the 1990s, and, of course, Olin Kreutz in the 2000s. Jonah Jackson comes across as the sort of down-to-earth grinder the Bears have needed for a long time. He's tough and loves hard work. That is what Johnson has preached since taking over. Hard work over hype. Jackson embraces this mentality. The Bears don't need him to be a superstar. They just need him to hold everybody else accountable. If that happens, the play up front figures to be significantly better moving forward.