Pride of Detroit
Former Pro Bowl Lions guard Jonah Jackson could be on the trading block just a year after he left Detroit in free agency.
Last year, the Detroit Lions made a difficult decision to let former Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson leave in free agency. He would end up signing a massive three-year, $51 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams while the Lions filled his spot on the roster with veteran Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler on a modest, one-year contract for $7 million.
Now, the Rams may want out of Jackson’s contract just a single year into it. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Rams have given Jackson permission to seek a trade.
[Note: Fowler incorrectly calls him Jonah Williams in the tweet, but he’s clearly referencing Jackson]
The 2024 season was a disaster for Jackson. First, he suffered an offseason injury that caused him to miss most of training camp. And while he was able to get back on the field in time for the season opener, he was eventually benched. They tried to move him around—repping him at center, occasionally—but it was clear it wasn’t working out in Los Angeles. He ended up starting just four games for the Rams.
Jackson still has $11.3 million in guarantees left in his contract, and $8.5 million more becomes guaranteed on the third league day of 2025. So if the Rams were to trade him before that date, that extra guaranteed money would travel with the acquiring team, saving Los Angeles $3.3 million in cap space this year. But if they can’t trade him by then, he’d cost more to trade or cut than to keep. So that third league day (March 15) is likely a strict deadline for a potential trade. If the Rams can’t get it done, don’t be surprised if they just end up cutting the 28-year-old offensive lineman.
It’s unclear what the future holds for the Lions at interior offensive line. Zeitler, 34, could be headed for free agency, Graham Glasgow is a potential cap casualty, and 2024 rookie Christian Mahogany looked the part in limited starts next year. Could a reunion with Jackson—on a much cheaper deal—be possible after just one season away?
