The Chicago Bears front office has some major decisions to make within the next few weeks.
The one getting most of the attention from fans and media is regarding their overall no. 1 pick in this April’s NFL draft. All signs are pointing to the team selecting USC Heisman Award winner and blue chip quarterback prospect Caleb Williams with that top spot (and trading away current QB Justin Fields). But there are some who feel that the Bears should hold on to Fields, build around him, and trade their coveted no. 1 pick for the haul of talent that would surely be sent their way in return.
But there are other pressing concerns facing Chicago, awaiting answers that must be made soon.
Other Issues for Chicago Bears to Ponder
For example, General Manager Ryan Poles and his staff must decide on whether to re-sign free agents such as Jaylon Johnson, Darnell Mooney, Yannick Ngakoue, Justin Jones, Lucas Patrick, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, and D’onta Foreman. In Johnson’s case, there’s also the decision of whether to slap the “franchise” tag on him.
Then, there’s safety Eddie Jackson, who recently posted an apparent “goodbye” to Chicago on his Twitter/X account, hinting at a parting from his team with a cryptic “New Beginnings” message. It’s widely rumored that the Bears will cut Jackson before the start of the season.
The veteran is headed into the last year of his lucrative multi-year deal with the team, due to make a staggering $18 million. The problem is that the seven-year Bear has shown considerable decline in his game, especially last season.
Jackson Came In Hot, Got Cold
Jackson entered the league as a shocker of a steal in the 2017 NFL draft, selected by the Bears, who traded up to get him, in the fourth round as a result of a broken leg suffered at Alabama. He immediately proved himself to be the impact player Chicago had gambled on him being. In his first three years in the league, Jackson earned Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019 and first-team All-Pro recognition in 2018. In the span of that time, he notched 10 interceptions and scored three defensive touchdowns. He quickly earned a reputation as an aggressive, hungry playmaker and one of the very best at his position.
Over the last four seasons, however, Jackson has just 5 interceptions and zero defensive touchdowns– with 4 of those picks coming in an apparent outlier 2022. Overall, since his contract extension in 2020, the one-time impact player has been just a middle of the pack on-field presence.
Foot injuries have limited him to playing in just 12 games in each of his last two seasons and have surely contributed to his slowed-down play and lack of production. He finished last season with a career-low 37 total tackles , 5 pass breakups, and a single interception. Although only 30, it’s believed that Jackson is an old 30, well into his decline and, obviously, plagued with injuries that may never truly heal.
Financial Realities
Cutting Jackson, after all tallies are made, would save the Bears about $12.6 million in cap space, which could be added to the already substantial cap space available to the team this year. The thought is that Chicago would like to dip into the free agent market for a younger, fresher safety and pursue rookie targets in the draft.
The loss of Eddie Jackson, though, would be the loss of a team leader and mentor to many of the younger players.
“Eddie’s kinda like the mouthpiece back there,” Bears safeties coach Andre Curtis said last season.
“The communication element, you just feel his presence because he’s seen so many things. It’s not that the other guys don’t know, it’s just that Eddie anticipates fast. Really fast. He sees it. He sees it before it happens and he’s communicating, ‘Alert on this motion. Be alert for this.’ A lot of guys can learn that stuff or see that stuff, but can they share it or process it to the other people? Some guys have a knack for that and Eddie, that’s what makes him really cool.”
But as beneficial as Jackson may be to the team in certain areas, the NFL is, ultimately, about what gets done on the field and how much you have to pay them.