When the Los Angeles Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a three-year, $51 million contract in March 2024, they envisioned him as a cornerstone of their revamped offensive line. Less than a year later, Jackson is a member of the Chicago Bears, and the Rams walked away with what ESPN’s Seth Walder called a “coup” of a trade.
“The Bears came in and gave the Rams a sixth-round pick to take Jackson and the full contract off their hands,” Walder wrote. “At that price, Jackson was a potential cut candidate… I figured the Rams would have to eat a portion of the contract. I figured wrong.”
The move was notable not just for the return—a sixth-round pick—but for LA shedding the entire $17.5 million still owed to Jackson, including $8.5 million in guarantees. For a player who played just 267 snaps in 2024, it was a tidy piece of business by GM Les Snead.
Los Angeles Rams Pulled Off a Coup With Jonah Jackson
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But how did it unravel so fast?
The original plan was to move Steve Avila to center and plug Jackson in at guard. But Avila never made the switch, and Jackson—despite being a Pro Bowler in Detroit—was asked to play out of position. In Week 1, against his former team, Jackson suffered a shoulder injury and landed on IR by Week 2. When he returned, rookie Beaux Limmer had already locked down the center spot, and Jackson never reclaimed a starting role.
To his credit, Jackson remained professional.
“A starting-level player… there are a lot of teams that would love to have Jonah Jackson at guard,” Sean McVay said after the season. “He put the team first… and was a really good scout teamer.”
Still, the LA had no room for an $8.5M bench player.
Durability was a major concern—Jackson has played in just 28 of a possible 51 games the past three seasons—and with Avila and Kevin Dotson locked in at guard, the Rams cut their losses.
Chicago, led by new head coach Ben Johnson, are optimistic. Pro Football Focus recently named Jackson and Joe Thuney the best projected guard duo in the NFL. But if health remains an issue, the Rams will look shrewd for walking away early.
For Snead, this wasn’t a failure—it was a correction. A gamble that didn’t pan out. And thanks to Chicago, one LA didn’t have to pay for.
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