The Chicago Bears got punched in the mouth in their first year of the Caleb Williams era, at one point losing 10 straight games before closing out the season with an emotionally charged win over the rival Green Bay Packers.
After a year to forget with the Los Angeles Rams, guard Jonah Jackson can relate.
He signed a three-year deal with Los Angeles but suffered a fractured scapula in Week 2 and lost his starting job one week into his return. Jackson, who logged 57 starts across his four years prior with the Detroit Lions, managed only four with the Rams before getting traded this offseason to the Bears -- a chance at a fresh start in the familiar NFC North.
"All that matters is how you bounce back," Jackson told . "I'm excited to get back to it and string a full season together and get a damn ring."
Securing a ring will require a massive leap from the Bears, who are coming off a 5-12 season and 15 years without a playoff victory. Jackson's been there before, though, stuck in the Detroit doldrums alongside new Bears head coach Ben Jonson when the two were with the Lions.
Those Lions had even more history stacked against them -- 32 years without a postseason win -- and ended the drought in Jackson's final season there in 2023. The year before that, Jackson made his lone Pro Bowl.
He'd be just fine forgoing another if it meant bringing the same winning football back to Chicago.
"Screw the personal accolades," Jackson said. "It's to win it all. The Bears are such a historic franchise and they've been there before. We're excited to be a part of a turnaround.
"I've been a part of a turnaround before, and we can definitely do it again."
Just as Detroit did, changing the narrative with the help of powerful, knee-biting dominance in the trenches, Chicago made clear this offseason it intends to win by way of a super-overhauled offensive line.
Along with trading for Jackson, the Bears acquired guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs and signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year contract. The three interior line spots appear well-fortified, a must after Chicago gave up a league-high 68 sacks last season.
One of many new additions to the team but someone who spent four years working close to Johnson, Jackson is confident he can fit in quickly and accelerate cohesiveness.
"What I bring to the offensive line room, in a leadership role, is my work ethic, my effort and strain down-in and down-out," he said. "I feel like my ability to jell the group together, we always used to joke around and call me the glue: Elmer's Glue. Bringing the group together as a tough-nosed O-lineman ready to work and protect the guy behind me."
The end goal will be providing Williams time to process and allow the game to slow down, something made impossible by the onslaught of pressure he felt in the pocket as a rookie. A number of those many sacks were, of course, on him. He was still learning the game at the pro level and sometimes didn't properly identify blitzers or held on to the ball too long in hopes of finding the type of home-run play he became known for in college.
But he still managed a 20-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and threw for 3,541 yards -- fifth in Bears single-season history. With more trust and time afforded from his offensive line, he can surely iron out the kinks.
As far as Jackson is concerned, Williams already has the required toughness.
"He took 68 sacks and was still fighting, still clawing," Jackson said. "You keep him safe, you keep his eyes downfield and away from the rush, he can have fun back there and slice and dice things up."
Offseason hype has seldom been in short supply for the Bears recently, including in 2024 after they drafted Williams and provided him a star-studded wide receiver room of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen (now a free agent).
This time around, Chicago has supplied him with protection.
Consider Jackson among those who believe it'll finally be the winning formula.
