The Chicago Bears are in the midst of their offseason activities and currently working their way through a voluntary minicamp. On Day 1, head coach Matt Eberflus noted one of the only players not present was safety Eddie Jackson.
However, Jackson has been there since Day 2 and is seemingly more motivated and committed than ever before.
Eberflus is bringing a new scheme with he and defensive coordinator Alan Williams, which features more zone looks. This type of scheme should favor a guy like Jackson far more than the previous couple of years.
Speaking of that previous couple years, Jackson himself noted today that last year was just plain bad. He told the media that the 2021 campaign was one of his worst years.
Jackson calls last season one of his worst years. Says he gave up too many deep balls. He seems energized by a new system and the opportunity to be one of the few veteran leaders on defense.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) April 21, 2022
Eddie Jackson admitting that 2021 was a failure is a great sign for the Chicago Bears.
For a guy who was heavily criticized last year and even in 2020, Jackson had to wake up and smell the roses. It was about time he realized just how bad his play has gotten since earning an extension and being an All Pro safety.
Things became even more worrisome when Jackson started taking jabs at former players like Lance Briggs on social media, instead of doing his talking on the football field. Jackson’s tackling was noticeably poor last season, and he seemed to shy away from any contact.
It is eerily coincidental that Jackson’s play started taking a dip after he signed that fat contract extension a couple of years ago, but hopefully this new coaching staff and a friendlier scheme will allow him to revert back to his former self.
After all, the Bears don’t have a lot of choices right now. It’s doubtful that Chicago could trade Jackson, considering his contract counts over $15 million, $17 million and $18 million against the cap for the next three seasons. For a descending player to be making that type of money puts the Bears in a tough spot.
Jackson has no choice but to step up his play. Next year, the Bears very well could cut ties with him and save $8 million by doing so. This is a year he must look at as a make-or-break type of season.
The former Alabama product gave up a career-worst six touchdowns through the air last year and allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 143.6. For those keeping track at home, a perfect quarterback rating is 158.3.
