Ex-Ohio State Buckeye moved in key NFL trade less than a week before free agency begins
NFL free agency does not begin until next week but that doesn’t stop teams around the league from being active in the trade market currently.
One former Ohio State Buckeye was involved in a key trade on Tuesday that landed him back with a familiar coach.
The Los Angeles Rams shipped G Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. With the trade, Jackson reunited with former Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Last offseason, Jackson signed a big three-year deal worth $51 million with the Rams. The 2024 season didn’t go as planned and Jackson played in just four games. The former Buckeye had a shoulder injury, then he made a move from guard to center. Jackson was replaced and it made sense for the Rams to move away from him.
Now with the Bears, Jackson gets a fresh start with a young, exciting quarterback in Caleb Williams whom Chicago drafted No. 1 overall last year. With it being a weak free agency class at guard, the move was one that the Bears had to make to fill the need. Chicago takes on the $17.5 million that Jackson will make as well as his contract that runs through 2026.
Jackson started 57 games over his first four seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions after being a third-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Jackson played one season in Columbus in 2019 and started 11 games with the Buckeyes after transferring from Rutgers.
A fresh start can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. That may just be what the move for Jackson is in the end.
