The Chicago Bears are on the lookout for offensive line help. Nothing is off the table. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson know that area of the roster will dictate how far this organization can go in 2025 and beyond. While most of the focus has been on free agency and the draft, it appears the trade market might yield an opportunity for them. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Los Angeles Rams have given former Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson permission to seek a trade.
This comes after signing a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency with them last off-season. Such a rapid change of direction at least raises some red flags. Jackson made the Pro Bowl with the Detroit Lions in 2021. He played under Johnson for two years, in 2022 and 2023. One would think the head coach is interested in a reunion. Then again, it’s important to ask questions. If Jackson is so good, why did the Lions let him walk last year, and why are the Rams open to trading him now?
Finding the answers isn’t difficult.
The Chicago Bears need to stay away from Jackson.
There are two reasons for this. For one, his health situation has gotten progressively worse over the past three years. Between his last two years in Detroit, he missed nine games with finger, wrist, ankle, and concussion issues. Last year, he went on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury and ended up only playing four games. It is pretty clear the guy has a hard time staying healthy, which is a problem the Bears have already dealt with for the past few years, thanks to Teven Jenkins.
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Jackson isn’t even as good as Jenkins, too. In his two years under Johnson in Detroit, he allowed 53 total pressures on the quarterback in just over 900 snaps. His run-blocking grade was consistently in the 60s, meaning he was also average in that department. It’s hard not to feel like Jackson was merely the beneficiary of playing between Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow.
Yes, the Chicago Bears need offensive line help. However, Jackson is not somebody they should be jumping through hoops to acquire. They can do better.
