Of the myriad issues that plagued the Detroit Lions in their Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers, the offensive line’s substandard performance really stands out.
It was an atypical bad game for everyone on the Lions line, from likely All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell to bedrock veteran left tackle Taylor Decker. The biggest hole, however, was at left guard.
Rookie Colby Sorsdal was overwhelmed and overmatched in his second career start. Sorsdal got benched midway through the game for Kayode Awosika, who had two very nice plays before degenerating into an abject disaster.
Sorsdal and Awosika fizzled in their collective chance to replace Jonah Jackson. The Pro Bowl left guard missed his second straight game with a wrist injury. Jackson has played just once since Week 5, also missing a few games with a high ankle sprain. His absence has been notable.
For a pending free agent like Jackson, missing games like he has shines a spotlight on his value to the team. It’s clear the Lions sorely need Jackson in the lineup, especially for his pass protection in front of Jared Goff, who has turned the ball over six times in two games thanks in part to the increased pressure created by Jackson’s injuries.
Goff is not a quarterback who handles pressure in the pocket well. It’s just not who he is as a quarterback. Goff has never been effective under pressure, going back to his college days at Cal or even his Pro Bowl heyday with the Los Angeles Rams. He needs a good offensive line that he trusts. Goff has that in Detroit with Jackson in the lineup. Without him, it’s been ugly.
Given the right guard situation, Jackson’s value goes up even more. Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Graham Glasgow are both free agents after the 2023 season. Vaitai appears done due to his ongoing back injury. Glasgow has proven himself a capable starter in his return to Detroit, but he’s 31 and lacks long-term presence even if he comes back as a free agent.
Sorsdal could still emerge as a solution at one guard spot. He’s had some positive moments as a fifth-round rookie converting from FCS-level right tackle to NFL guard, and he’s got one of the best OL coaches in the business in Hank Fraley helping him. The loss to the Packers showed he’s not ready yet, certainly not on the left side.
All that means leverage for Jackson as he hits free agency for the first time. He’ll be one of the top interior linemen on the market in a league that is absolutely desperate for quality starters at any OL spot. It’s hard to fathom the Lions starting two new guards in 2024, but that could very well be the case if Jackson leaves as a free agent. With all the needs on defense, bringing back a valuable piece like Jackson on offense would allow GM Brad Holmes and his crew to focus more on bolstering the anemic pass rush and incapable secondary.
Get well soon, Jonah. You’re going to need that wrist healthy enough to sign a big new contract, be it in (hopefully) Detroit or somewhere else.