Veteran Left Guard Traded to Chicago Bears
The Los Angeles Rams are on the move to make things happen for the 2025 NFL Draft this year. They are in the process of sending their current veteran offensive lineman Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. This was not all the Rams' idea to have him leave the team, they were not happy about the results of last season. Jackson had sought out a trade a few days prior to this deal being made. That said, this deal cannot be processed until March 12th when the new league year begins as per Adam Schaffer.
The Rams gave Jackson permission after his 2024 season to be limited to play due to injuries and later ended up on the bench at the end of the season. In his current contract, he’s owed $8.5 million guaranteed and receives a base salary of $9 million in the 2025 season. With Los Angeles trading him, they will be saving $3.3 million in cap space. They are also taking a dead cap hit of $11.3 million for the 2025 season.
The 28-year-old was a two-year starter at Rutgers before he transferred to Ohio State. He made strides while he was there. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten and Third-Team All-American honors. It didn’t take long for him to get drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Lions traded with the Colts to select him as the 75th pick in the third round of this Draft. He played with the Lions for four years. His rookie contract consisted of a $4,665,947 rookie contract and included a $1,048,559 signing bonus.
He has already had a decent career when he does get on the field to play. Jackson has appeared in 61 games in total. When he played for Detroit he was able to go through the entire season as a starter. He had a total of three solo tackles in the 2020 season and two tackles in the 2021 season. The veteran guard will now use his knowledge to help the young and upcoming Chicago Bears team, that desperately needs help protecting their young quarterback Caleb Williams.
When he entered free agency for the first time, he signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Rams. During his time with the team, he only played in four games with four starts. It was a complete bust for them after the Rams brought him onto the team. He may be a better fit for the Bears. He will have one of the former Detroit Lions coaches, Ben Johnson, now as the team's head coach on the field. This should help make a difference and do better in 2025 if they give him a chance and he is not out on injury.
