Expectations have been that the Chicago Bears would be major players in the market for interior offensive linemen when NFL free agency opens next week.
And while that still might be true, the Bears evidently didn't want to wait.
According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin , the Bears agreed to terms Tuesday on a trade to acquire veteran left guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the 2025 sixth-round pick they received from Pittsburgh last year.
Jackson played just four games for the Rams in 2024, starting in the first two games before missing the next six weeks after re-aggravating a scapula injury he suffered in July. While he returned in Week 10, the Rams benched him after just one game and only played him once more in the regular-season finale.
Jackson does, however, have a direct tie to new Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Before signing a three-year, $51 million contract with the Rams last offseason, he made 57 starts at left guard for the Detroit Lions. He missed 10 games with injuries in his first four seasons, but he also made the Pro Bowl in 2021.
According to Over the Cap, Jackson will carry identical cap hits of roughly $11.8 million in each of the next two seasons for the Bears, making him an affordable risk who could be a quality starting guard for them if he stays healthy.
Should Jackson not live up to expectations in 2025, the Bears will have the option of cutting bait and saving $9 million against the cap next offseason.
The Bears are trading the sixth-round pick they received from the Steelers in last offseason's trade for quarterback Justin Fields. When the trade becomes official, they will no longer hold a selection in the sixth round; though, they still have a fifth-rounder and two seventh-rounders on Day 3.
