30 Most Important Bears of 2025: Jonah Jackson (No. 24)
Every day from now right up through training camp, we're counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2025 season. We'll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to 2025 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
At No. 24 is Jonah Jackson, the team's new starting right guard who is part of the recent overhaul of the offensive line.
Background
Position: Guard
Age: 28
Experience: 6th season
2025 cap hit: $14.75 million
2024 recap
It's safe to say the 2024 season did not go as planned for Jackson. After spending four seasons with the Detroit Lions, Jackson inked a lucrative three-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason to shore up their offensive line. Jackson wound up shifting positions and was named the starting center for Week 1. He played just two games before exiting due to injury with a broken scapula, missing two months of action.
When Jackson was ready to return, the Rams had seemingly moved on without him. Rookie Beaux Limmer had filled in well during Jackson's absence, but head coach Sean McVay gave the veteran a chance to get back on the field. It lasted just one week, as Jackson struggled in his first game back at center and was effectively benched for Limmer. Jackson started just one more game the entire season and became an expensive backup.
2025 outlook
With Jackson falling out of favor in Los Angeles, he became a predictable trade target early in the offseason. The Bears swooped in and acquired him for a 2025 sixth-round pick to be their starting right guard. The Bears also added a year to Jackson's deal, keeping him under contract through the 2027 season.
This will be Jackson's third different position on the offensive line in three years, which could pose a challenge as he gets reacclimated to playing the right side regularly. He made one start at right guard to end the 2024 season. Jackson's best seasons came with Johnson as his offensive coordinator from their days with the Lions, so hopefully he can return to form as one of the better interior protectors in the conference.
Big question: Will Jackson return to his early-career form?
The NFL is a "what have you done for me lately?" kind of league, and that question is pertinent for Jackson given his recent history. His tenure with the Rams was a disaster, and they were happy to move off from him for just a Day 3 selection just one year after he signed a multi-year deal. Even more interesting is that the Rams brought back Coleman Shelton to be their starting center instead of trying to work with Jackson again.
The sample size is too small to say whether or not Jackson could have been effective last season as a starting guard. He played just 266 snaps all season, a far cry from his usual totals. But he'll need to prove that 2024 was an anomaly and not something that will continue. Johnson obviously believes in Jackson's abilities, and playing next to Drew Dalman and Darnell Wright should allow him to flourish. Jackson just needs to stay healthy.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 30 Most Important Bears of 2025: Jonah Jackson (No. 24)
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