Getty Jonah Jackson playing along the Lions offensive front in 2021.
The Detroit Lions didn’t land anyone in the Pro Bowl for the 2021 season, and while it had been the first time since 2009 that played out, it was not entirely unexpected given the way the team played this year.
Much of this season, the Lions were inconsistent and had players in and out with injury. As a result, they didn’t get to establish themselves most of the year. One player who did was offensive lineman Jonah Jackson. Jackson was named one of Detroit’s alternates for the Pro Bowl this week
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Speaking to the media on Thursday, December 23 in an interview posted at DetroitLions.com, Jackson admitted he felt good about what he has accomplished this year for his future while also desiring much more.
“It’s definitely a big honor. It means that people are taking notice of the style I play and it’s definitely exciting. A stepping stone of where I want to be and I appreciate it big time.”
In terms of voting, Jackson explained why this is such an honor for an NFL player, given players have to vote for their peers.
“We all sat in the offensive line room and we had a collective vote on who we thought were the best players. We ran through the teams we played this year. It’s pretty easy to pick the guys who are the standouts,” Jackson said of the process.
With that in mind, it’s clear Jackson wants to get to the point where he can be considered such a standout. 2021 was a good step in the right direction, but there is more work to be done.
Analyst: Jackson Has ‘Been Impressive’ With 2021 Work
While Jackson might not be interested in too many of his own accolades and is only looking forward toward his own future, it’s been clear for quite a while that he is developing himself well for this season. After a tough loss for the Lions against Philadelphia, Bleacher Report analyst Brandon Thorn took some time to point out how good Jackson has looked at times this year when combined with rookie Penei Sewell on the field.
24 & 21-years old..this left side in Detroit of Jonah Jackson/Penei Sewell work very well together and have been impressive this season.
As one of the players who has been consistently healthy and durable so far, Jackson has been able to show off his talents in a big way on the field consistently. Jackson being committed to improving and making sure he is doing whatever he can to help the team can be seen as a lock moving forward. The alternate status is a major reward for this.
Jackson Enjoying Solid Start to Lions’ Career
While he may not have been an All-Pro, Pro Bowler or earned any type of accolades for his play last year in 2020 and may not play in the Pro Bowl for 2021, that doesn’t change the fact that Jackson has been a strong player for the Lions since he joined the team last season. Perhaps most significantly, Jackson started 16 games as a rookie and was a load up front for the Lions considering his ability to play solid football. It’s not often that the Lions have a young lineman capable of playing a starting role right off the bat while not looking out of place in the league, but that’s just what Jackson brought to the mix for the team as a rookie last season.
While he was a first-year man out of Ohio State, Jackson showed the kind of toughness and grit that could make him a fixture in the NFL.
Even as things have gotten difficult in 2021 for the team, Jackson has played well himself and managed to get a reward. While that is a good thing, it’s also positive to see that he wants even more for himself.
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