Jonah Jackson leaves the Lions for the Los Angeles Rams after signing a large contract.
It appears that the reports indicating a boom in the free agency guard market were accurate. That felt like a guarantee that left guard Jonah Jackson would be lost by the Detroit Lions. Graham Glasgow’s decision to resign on Monday morning before of the start of the negotiation window indicated that the Lions had anticipated that.
Jackson and the Los Angeles Rams have reached an agreement to a three-year, $51 million contract, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Garafolo claims that $34 million in funding is promised for the deal.
As the general manager of the Lions in 2020, Bob Quinn selected Jackson in the third round of the draft. After an excellent season in 2022, he was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl in his second year of eligibility. During his four seasons in Detroit, he started fifty-seven games and was a valuable member of an offensive line that included three first-round picks.
But Jackson had a difficult year in 2023. Three separate injuries kept him out of action, and when he was back, he performed poorly. It seemed as though his injury from the previous playoff round, which prevented him from playing in the NFC Championship Game, was a hint that he might leave in free agency.
In Los Angeles, Jackson will get back together with Matthew Stafford, against whom he started all 16 games as a rookie.
Free agency for the Detroit Lions: Jonah Jackson departs from left guard with a huge void
Everyone still remembers his struggles from the previous season, but Jackson won’t be simply replaced. The performance at left guard took a clear dip last year when he was absent.
But it’s clear that general manager Brad Holmes committed to continuing to invest this offseason in one of the league’s top offensive lines. However, it was anticipated that Jackson’s market worth would be too high to maintain given the impending large contract extensions, and this proved to be true gradually but definitely.