The Detroit Lions became the talk of the NFL world after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson helped construct such an exciting offense based around Jared Goff and a strong offensive line, and it didn’t take long for the new Chicago Bears head coach to bring one of his old guys over to Illinois.
Johnson and the Bears acquired former Lions guard Jonah Jackson in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that sent a 2025 sixth-round pick the other way. This comes just a few days after Jackson, who signed a three-year contract worth over $50 million in the offseason, was given permission to seek a trade.
Johnson already stole half of the Lions’ offensive coaching staff when he went over to the Bears, and now he’s taken his first former player over to Chicago with him. If the Jackson Lions fans saw for four years makes a return, this could be a concernign development.
Former Lions OC Ben Johnson acquires Jonah Jackson in Bears trade
Jackson played in just four games last season due to an injury and a benching, which may obscure his past success with the Lions in the eyes of many. Jackson was a Pro Bowl guard who emerged as a rock-solid starter for a Detroit team that built their offense around a dominant offensive line.
Jackson, who was picked in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Detroit, is a bit of a lottery ticket at this point in his career. While still effective when healthy, he hasn’t played more than 13 games in a season since 2021. Johnson and the Bears got him for pennies on the dollar due to those health risks.
Jackson has given up just two sacks over the last three seasons, even with all the injuries. With Williams’ biggest issue right now being a penchant for holding onto the ball, Jackson could immediately help him correct this flaw.
Time will tell if Johnson is able to put together a convincing facsimile of the most efficient and creative offense in the league he helped create in Detroit. If he fails, and the Jackson move ends up being a bust, the Lions can take solace in the fact that their division rival bungled it once again.
