Jonah Jackson, a former Detroit Lions free agent guard, is on the move. Jackson signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Jackson played an important role on Detroit’s offensive line, starting 12 games in 2023. Over the course of the season, the 27-year-old has suffered injuries to his wrist, ankle, and knee.

Jackson served as an injury replacement for the 2021 Pro Bowl and started all 16 games for the Lions. The left guard was selected 75th overall by Detroit in the 2020 NFL Draft.

NFL free agency began Monday, and many more transactions are expected in the coming days.

Jonah Jackson leaves Lions for big contract from Los Angeles Rams

It turned out that the guard market was flourishing in free agency, as reported. That made it seem inevitable that the Detroit Lions would lose left guard Jonah Jackson. Graham Glasgow’s re-signing on Monday morning, prior to the negotiation window opening, indicated that the Lions were prepared for this.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Jackson has agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams. According to Garafolo, the deal includes $34 million in guaranteed money.

Jackson was a third-round pick in Bob Quinn’s final draft as Lions’ general manager in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in his second year, and followed that with another good season in 2022. He started 57 games over his four seasons in Detroit, and was broadly an underrated part of an offensive line that had three first-round picks.

But 2023 was a difficult year for Jackson. He missed time due to three different injuries, and when he was available, his performance dipped. He missed the NFC Championship Game due to a knee injury sustained in the previous playoff round, which seemed to anticipate his departure in free agency.

Jackson will rejoin with Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, where he started all 16 games as a rookie.