Chicago Bears: Handing out individual awards through Week 4

Mr. Irreplaceable: Safety Eddie Jackson

Last year, Bears fans knew they saw something special in Eddie Jackson. As a rookie, he really busted loose in the win over the Carolina Panthers. Of course, we remember that well as he scored two touchdowns on 75-plus yards on the 1-year anniversary of his broken leg during his final season at Alabama.

Aside from that game, though, non-Bears fans may not remember much about him, and that’s okay. But, the glimpses we saw watching him game-in and game-out, we knew he would be special.

So far, his second season is garnering more national attention. Through just four games, Jackson is receiving high praise from Pro Football Focus.

Jackson has notched 10 tackles, two interceptions, one pressure, one sack, one defensive touchdown, one forced fumble and, most impressively — five stops. Once again, a stop is a play which results in a loss of yards for the offense.

Jackson plays safety, not defensive line, and he has five stops in four games — that’s remarkable.

The fact that he’s the NFL’s third-highest graded safety through four weeks? Yeah, I’d say that makes him pretty irreplaceable, considering who the Bears have backing him up.