After watching quarterback Caleb Williams get sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024, the Chicago Bears used the early offseason to aggressively address the issue. Williams will now have three new faces on the interior of his offensive line.
Jonah Jackson will be Chicago’s new right guard. After playing in just four games with the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, Jackson’s arrival to the Bears came with plenty of flack. However, the fact that General Manager Ryan Poles traded for Jackson before making any other big moves shows how highly he thinks of him.
As does new head coach Ben Johnson. He coached Jackson during their time together on the Detroit Lions. And that connection was a driving force in bringing the guard to Chicago. When Jackson dons his Bears jersey for the first time, he’s glad he’ll be doing so under a coach he trusts in Johnson, via team reporter Larry Mayer.
“He knows how to make things happen,” Jackson said. “He’s a great play-caller, very in-depth on his play designs. Guys like playing for him because he knows how to make the most of each play for all of his players. He looks at the bigger picture and not just plays that he’s calling.”
“We talked about life, fatherhood, being a father to daughters,” Jackson said. “[He has] a lot of good qualities. Off the field, he’s personable; on the field, he’s just looking for that dagger.”
Jonah Jackson coming off down year with Rams
Coming off of his run with the Lions, Jackson signed a three-year, $51 million contract. However, a shoulder injury kept him out for most of the season. Jackson isn’t making any excuses for the injury and understands football is a violent sport.
“It’s part of the game,” Jackson said. “This is a dangerous sport. Any given play, anything can happen to anybody. It was definitely frustrating, but you learn from things like that, and you appreciate the game for what it is and for what it allows you to do.”
When Jackson was on the field, the Rams put him at center, a position he hadn’t played at the NFL level. It resulted in the offensive lineman earning 67.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 40/135 guards.
So on the surface, it’s easy to see why Jackson’s trade has come with some push back. But not only did the Bears give up a fifth-round pick, but they signed Jackson to an extension. Chicago is planning on him being their right guard for the foreseeable future.
Chicago Bears put Jackson in place to succeed
Because the Bears actually have a plan in place for Jackson. The Rams didn’t plan for Jackson to be hurt, and his new franchise won’t either. But moving Jackson to center was a puzzling move, even if it fit Los Angeles plan. Simply having him back at right guard is the first step to getting Jackson to return to form.
Furthermore, Jackson was named to the Pro Bowl under Johnson in 2021. While that is becoming more and more of the past, it’s still a sign of what the pairing can do together. Johnson, alongside Poles and the coaching staff, has meticulously made each move thus far. Every free agent or trade acquisition has been hand picked. And Jackson was one of the first players Johnson opted to bring to Chicago.
Still, Jackson understands that it takes more than just knowing the coach to succeed. As he prepares to become a leader on the Bears’ offensive line, Jackson is planning on using the tenets he has learned from past teammates and continuing to grow into a complete offensive lineman.
“You have to be able to know what you’re doing, your assignment and everything, and then just trust in your technique,” Jackson said. “Luckily, I had good veterans next to me in Frank Ragnow and Taylor Decker to instill that confidence in me to ensure that I was doing the right thing, and I trusted my abilities to be able to execute my job on the field, and it kind of made that transition easy.”
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