Offensive line is generally considered the Bears’ biggest position of need this offseason.
They’re reportedly addressing that before free agency even begins by agreeing to trade for a player familiar with new head coach Ben Johnson.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, who covers the Bears and the NFL, reported late Tuesday morning that the Bears will send a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft to the Los Angeles Rams for five-year veteran offensive lineman Jonah Jackson.
The trade cannot be processed until March 12, when the NFL’s free-agent signing period officially begins.
Jackson has primarily played left guard during his NFL career, but he played both center and guard for the Rams last season after signing a three-year, $51 million deal with Los Angeles last offseason.
But Jackson played just four games with the Rams after spending the early part of the season on IR with a shoulder injury. He took over at center after coming off IR, but he was benched following just one start.
The Bears are surely hoping to get the player Jackson was through his first four seasons, when he played in 57 games, all starts, with the Detroit Lions from 2020-23. Johnson was either offensive coordinator or and offensive assistant with Detroit during that time.
Jackson earned his lone Pro Bowl selection in 2021, starting 16 games for the Lions when Johnson was their tight ends coach.