Back when the Chicago Bears traded for him in mid-March of 2025, few were sure whether Jonah Jackson would work out.
Signed last spring to help solidify the interior of Chicago’s offensive line, Jackson stepped immediately into a full-time role and hasn’t looked back. There were injury concerns after he missed the bulk of his 2024 campaign, but those have since melted away.
So far in 16 games, he has started every game and logged virtually all of Chicago’s offensive snaps. Per PFF, Jackson ranks second among all guards with 1,078 snaps played this season. For a franchise that has spent years patching together its O-line, he has been a huge addition.
The Bears inked him to a three-year, $54.5 million deal, and now, due to his durability this season, he is about to trigger a pretty hefty incentive in that contract.
Bears OL Jonah Jackson Set to Earn $2.5 Million Bonus for 2025 Season
Durability was the primary concern surrounding Jackson when he arrived in the Windy City. It’s fair to say he has quieted those concerns. Interior linemen can go unnoticed when they stay healthy, but availability is the best ability, as they say, especially over a long season. That continuity has helped the entire offense function more smoothly, particularly with a young quarterback under center.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on December 29 that Jackson’s durability this year is going to be rewarded in a huge way. Per Biggs, Jackson is going to receive a $2.5 million bonus as part of an incentive structure in his contract.
“Right guard Jonah Jackson will have his 2026 base salary increased by $2.5 million from $12.5 million to $15 million,” Biggs wrote, adding: “Jackson played in only four games last season for the Los Angeles Rams and missed five games in 2023 for the Detroit Lions. So the Bears put some money on the table for him if he could be durable this season.”
Bears O-line Play Has Been Dominant This Season
Chicago enters the final week of the regular season at 11–5 with the NFC North already clinched, a dramatic shift from recent seasons. The offense has been loads more efficient and more balanced, and much of that improvement can be traced back to better and more consistent play up front. Jackson has been a constant, and that has helped the Bears operate without the weekly lineup changes that have often derailed offenses in the recent past.
The Bears’ run game has also benefited from Jackson’s presence. Chicago has been among the league’s more effective rushing teams, currently ranked third in the NFL in yards per game on the ground (149.4).
That rushing success has unquestionably played a major role in Chicago’s 2025 turnaround.
While the $2.5 million bonus broke down by Biggs is tied to playing time and team achievement, getting a big bonus like that is a fitting measure of Jackson’s year. He has been on the field consistently, the Bears have won and he has delivered what head coach Ben Johnson and company hoped he’d provide.
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