Bear Digest

Jonah Jackson trade first sign of Ben Johnson's Bears influence

Analysis: The Bears have a player in Jonah Jackson via trade who Ben Johnson saw rising in 2021-22 with Detroit, and it's also a sign of how their new coach will impact personnel decisions.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jonah Jackson, acquired by trade from the Rams, is a bit of a reclamation project based on his time in Detroit.
Jonah Jackson, acquired by trade from the Rams, is a bit of a reclamation project based on his time in Detroit. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

One of the ways Bears GM Ryan Poles said they would attack the offseason was a partnership between himself and new coach Ben Johnson.

It's apparent they've taken this to heart with the first serious move to acquire talent.

Trading a sixth-round pick for Jonah Jackson is essentially the acquisition of a player very familiar to Johnson from the start to his career, yet it's not a trade anyone should be too excited about based on recent production. It's also one made when Jackson very well could have been a cap cut victim, which would have made it much cheaper. But the Bears also would have had to compete with other teams interested in Jackson.

They spent a sixth-round pick in 2024 to get Dan Freeney and he wasn't exactly a mover and shaker on the offensive line. But a sixth-round pick for the Bears usually can expect to be a sub or not be on the roster, so it's not exactly a gamble.

This is a player with capability of starting but a past that indicated he could go the other way. However, they're going to pay him like a starter.

Jackson can add starting ability and versatility up front, possibly to replace Teven Jenkins as left guard starter. He could also own a spot while a rookie or another young guard develops. Here, it's worth noting that the Bears finished last season very high on Bill Murray, a converted undrafted draft pick who had been a college defensive lineman and not the comedic actor. Murray had some unbelievable reps in brief time before a torn pec muscle ended the season.

Jackson is also a player who can come in and apply some of the blocking scheme techniques Johnson likes in his offense because he spent his first four years starting in Detroit, almost entirely at guard.

In fact, to think of Jackson as a center replacement for former Rams center Coleman Shelton is being very imaginative.

Jackson has played only 131 of his 3,965 career snaps at center. He's been at left guard for 3,623 snaps and his guard production over five years has been average. Calling him an option at center would be even worse than doing what they did with Lucas Patrick, who didn't work out anywhere in Chicago but was definitely not of starting center caliber.

It was not working out for Jackson last year as Rams center after the Bears took the L.A. center, Shelton. Jackson had a shoulder injury that sent him to IR, and injuries have been a problem in his career overall. But when he returned to starting center after missing seven games, they benched him in favor of rookie Beaux Limmer based more on production than health.

This was a pretty definitive statement because Jackson had been signed for $51 million to go to L.A. after 2023.

Jackson missed three games with an ankle, another with a wrist and another with a knee injury for the Lions in 2023. He had two games away with a finger injury and one with a concussion in 2022.

What can be said about Jackson's play in Detroit was things had been looking up for him before he made the ill-fated decision to go to L.A. in free agency—at least based on Pro Football Focus grades. It's this time in his career that Johnson seems to be banking on with the acquisition.

Jackson's strength had been run blocking and, after scuffling as most rookies do, he had his two best PFF grades as a run blocker at left guard, with a 76.4 in 2021 and 73.0 in 2022. In both years, he ranked 15th in the league among all guards as a run blocker.

Last year after he was benched, the Rams moved him to right guard and threw him back on the field with the subs in a meaningless game to close the regular season. He posted an outstanding 91.6 run blocking grade in that week.

In 2022, Jackson didn't allow a sack as a pass blocker and just two in 2023, so there is evidence he can be a better pass blocker even if he usually graded out as mediocre in this regard.

The real indicator of what the Bears see for Jackson is the money they'll spend. The Bears inherited a contract in which he'll be take up $17 million cap space but only $11.83 million is counting against the Bears for the 2025 cap.

That is starter's money, so they're going to need more from him than a few games off and on with injuries. They had that from last year's starter, Jenkins.

What is obvious is Johnson thinks Jackson can resume the 2021-22 progress made in Detroit and be part of their offense going forward.

The ceiling is he picks up where he was and becomes an effective starter in the running game while improving an average career as a pass blocker.

The floor would be a player who can help with the transition in a new attack and supply depth.

And it's help acquired by a front office suddenly not afraid to make moves based on Johnson's aggressiveness.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Published | Modified
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.