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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All that written and not a thing directly said how he feels. Being a Bears fan and enduring the OCs they have had I can actually relate to someone who doesn’t know their blocking assignments. Half the time even their offensive line coaches didn’t have a clue. As far as signing somewhat older linemen, it’s not like saying he lost a step, it’s more of he didn’t get knocked on his ass. Theres a reason Washington had a group called the hogs. Its more about a group’s cohesion and experience and having someone who can teach blocking assignments than it… Read more »
“Time discovers truth. “Yes it does. Even for the proverb speaker.
“ Answer a fool, according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.”
In my measured opinion: both counter intuitive and counter factual, if I may be so bold.
Dr Melhus – please tell me you aren’t comparing Braxton Jones to Crosby? Or, Tom Brady? That’s just beyond rational descriptiveness. If you want to compare him to Limmer, great. A guy with a single good season so far, compared to Jones who is basically a fringe starter / quality swing tackle level after three years is a fair comp. But, the fact is, Poles ( and Cunningham ) have brought in double digit offensive linemen between the draft and FA, and Jones is by far the best one. So, do you really think we don’t need to do better?… Read more »
I’m old enough to remember Poles’ first draft, and he scored Braxton Jones in the 5th Round. This was a great sign as our former OL (new) GM hit on his very first late round LT pick. This was also coming at a time when our O Line needed some serious work. We finally had a GM that not only was going to prioritize the O Line, but he OBVIOUSLY had an eye for talent there as well, being a former offensive lineman. Fast Forward to 2025 and we are having to build our line from scratch by having to… Read more »