Sean McVay Thinks Rams Didn’t Miss on Free Agent Bust

The Los Angeles Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a lucrative free-agent contract last March but he played in just four games.

Oct 17, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift (32) gets congratulated by guard Jonah Jackson (73) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

 A year ago this month, the Rams lured Jonah Jackson away from Ben Johnson with a three-year, $51 million contract. Johnson didn’t want to play two seasons without him.

After the Rams agreed to a March 4 trade sending Jackson to Chicago for a sixth-round selection in next month’s draft, head coach Sean McVay said they’ll miss the tough and physical veteran. McVay discussed the trade with Dan “Big Cat” Katz on Pardon My Take recently.

“You know what, we didn't miss on him, Big Cat,” McVay said. “What we did was, we missed on projecting some people to play the center spot. He had some unfortunate injuries where he never had a chance to really get the foundation.”

Rookie Beaux Limmer surprised the Rams with how well he played and wound up starting 14 games in the regular season and both playoff contests. So, in late February, the Rams granted Jackson and his agent permission to explore trades with other teams. Los Angeles originally signed Jackson last March to a deal that reportedly included an $8.5 million guaranteed roster bonus due March 14, two days after the league year began.

The trade was good for the Rams. Not only did the Bears reportedly take on all of Jackson’s $17.5 million salary this season, the Rams also were likely to terminate Jackson in a salary-cap move had the Bears not taken him.

While Jackson started the season’s first two games when injuries decimated the Rams’ offensive line, he wound up playing in just four contests. Steve Avila is expected to begin the 2025 season at guard.

Limmer, a Day 3 starter the Rams found in the sixth round last season, played well down the stretch. So did guard Kevin Dotson, who came to Los Angeles in a 2023 trade with Pittsburgh and signed an extension prior to last season. That left Jackson on the outside looking in.

Last season, Jackson made four starts, two at center, one at right guard and one at left guard. He also sat out much of training camp with an injured shoulder and, when he returned to fill an important void in the starting lineup early in the year, aggravated the injury in his second start and went to injured reserve.

McVay wished Jackson well in reuniting with Johnson, his offensive coordinator for his first four NFL seasons in Detroit.

“This guy's a stud, stud human, stud physically, mentally tough dude. I'm a big fan of him. He'll do really well for him. There's a reason why Ben wanted him back. You can see the investment in the interior lines, that they’re trying to make it Detroit in Chicago.”

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