After spending four seasons together with the Lions, new Bears right guard Jonah Jackson is eager to resume working with first-year coach Ben Johnson.

Selected by Detroit in the third round of the 2020 draft out of Ohio State, Jackson started all 57 games he played with the Lions from 2020-23, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2021. Johnson served as Detroit's tight ends coach (2020-21), passing game coordinator (2021) and offensive coordinator (2022-24).

"He knows how to make things happen," Jackson said. "He's a great play-caller, very in-depth on his play designs. Guys like playing for him because he knows how to make the most of each play for all of his players. He looks at the bigger picture and not just plays that he's calling."

During their time together in Detroit, Jackson frequently spoke to Johnson—and not only about football.

"We talked about life, fatherhood, being a father to daughters," Jackson said. "[He has] a lot of good qualities. Off the field, he's personable; on the field, he's just looking for that dagger."

Jackson was an immediate starter as a rookie in 2020, an impressive feat given that NFL teams were unable to conduct offseason workouts or play preseason games due to COVID.

"You have to be able to know what you're doing, your assignment and everything, and then just trust in your technique," Jackson said. "Luckily, I had good veterans next to me in Frank Ragnow and Taylor Decker to instill that confidence in me to ensure that I was doing the right thing, and I trusted my abilities to be able to execute my job on the field, and it kind of made that transition easy."

Jackson signed with the Rams last year and was projected to be their starting center. But he was limited to four games due to a shoulder injury he sustained in training camp and aggravated in Week 2.

"It's part of the game," Jackson said. "This is a dangerous sport. Any given play, anything can happen to anybody. It was definitely frustrating, but you learn from things like that, and you appreciate the game for what it is and for what it allows you to do."

The Bears acquired Jackson from the Rams March 12 in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick as part of a complete overhaul of their interior offensive line. General manager Ryan Poles first scouted Jackson when he played at Rutgers (2015-18) before transferring to Ohio State (2019).

"I can go all the way back to Rutgers when I watched him," Poles said. "The guy is made of the right stuff, and he's capable of really helping us up front anchoring [in pass protection] but also getting push in the run game."

After lining up at center with the Rams, the Bears plan to play Jackson at right guard opposite All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney, whom they landed in a trade with the Chiefs. The two will bracket new center Drew Dalman, a highly touted free-agent acquisition.

"[Jackson] is a Pro Bowl-caliber guard," Johnson said. "That's what we're going to get out of him."