The Chicago Bears traded for Jonah Jackson last offseason as part of an offensive line overhaul.
Jackson initially signed a three-year, $54.5 million contract when he was traded, with around $29.75 million guaranteed and a $10.5 million signing bonus. As part of the trade, the Bears added a one-year extension through the 2027 season, which increased his fully guaranteed money for 2026 by $7 million and added another $5.25 million in injury-guaranteed funds.
But through his first seven weeks in a Bears uniform, the return has been a mixed bag. Some think Jackson has been a straight up letdown. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report put together a list of the “most disappointing” players for all 32 NFL teams, and for the Bears, he chose Jackson.
“A key free-agent addition as part of Chicago’s 2025 offensive-line overhaul, Jackson has been penalized four times while posting a sub-60 PFF grade thus far,” Gagnon wrote.
Is OL Jonah Jackson the Chicago Bears’ Most Disappointing Player in 2025?
GettyJonah Jackson has been named the most disappointing player for the Chicago Bears so far in 2025. Is it fair to judge him so soon?
With his previous ties to Bears first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the idea was that Jackson would have a relatively smooth transition, as he’s familiar with Johnson’s offense. Jackson made the Pro Bowl in Detroit in 2021 while Johnson was on staff (he became OC in 2022).
Jackson had a brief and forgettable detour with the Rams in 2024, where a fractured scapula derailed his season and ultimately led to him getting traded to Chicago for a 2025 sixth-round pick. That’s not a lot of draft compensation to give up for a starting O-lineman, but his salary is ranked ninth among all RGs in the NFL, and that’s fairly significant. He doesn’t have to be a Pro Bowl selection on the regular, but he does have to be at least average to warrant his contract.
It’s been a mixed bag so far.
Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, Jackson received an overall grade of 31.0 from Pro Football Focus. He gave up five hurries in that game, but to be fair, he’s given up a total of five hurries in the five games since, bringing his total to 10 on the season. He had a rough outing Week 1, but has looked better since.
Penalties Have Been a Fairly Big Issue for Jackson so Far This Season
In 393 offensive snaps through Week 7, Jackson has been penalized four times (one declined), also allowing a sack. The independent penalty tracker at NFLPenalties.com has him charged with two false starts and an offensive hold, plus another declined hold, for 20 assessed yards.
Before Chicago, Jackson was a durable Lions starter (2020-23), and he’s still 28, so he’s young enough to get back on track. His previous stint with the Rams may explain some of his rust, as he didn’t play much at right guard at all last season, while also battling injury.
The Bears have been a heavily penalized team through the first seven weeks. Through their first six games, they have 53 penalties, averaging just under nine flags per game. If Jackson can clean that aspect of his game up, he should be just fine.
Has Jackson been the team’s most disappointing player so far this season? We think it’s too early to judge. Let’s see how the rest of his 2025 campaign plays out first, before we jump to any rash conclusions.
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