Chicago Bears News: Eddie Jackson wants revenge
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson is out for revenge this coming season.
The Chicago Bears need an Eddie Jackson revenge tour. If they are going to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign, Jackson is one of the key players who will make it all happen on defense.
Two years ago, Jackson was comfortable at the free safety spot and proved why he was an elite safety in this league. In that magical 2018 season, Jackson came up with 15 passes defended, six interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.
Last season, he made the switch to strong safety so that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could line up at his former spot. To say he didn’t make an impact would be silly, but he certainly didn’t make the big plays he did a year ago — and that came primarily because of where he lined up.
This coming season, Jackson is back to free safety and is ready to prove the doubters wrong. A player as good as Jackson should not have been left off this year’s NFL Top 100, but he was — and that will be one of many motivating factors for he and the Bears this year.
Earlier this week, Jackson made an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, where Kyle Brandt asked him about one simple graphic — his Twitter header.
His cover photo across the top of his Twitter profile reads “Revenge.” In his bio, it reads “Coming For Everything They Say I Couldn’t Have…I Want REVENGE.”
In response to Brandt’s question, Jackson said:
"“Right now it’s revenge season for everything.”"
He talked about how it’s not just about him, but about the Bears as a team. All of the sudden, you go from a 12-4 playoff team to a group that misses the playoffs and people forget about you altogether.
Jackson is as motivated as ever and wants the world to know he and the Bears are coming. He’s not happy about being forgotten. The Bears, as a team, are certainly not happy about being forgotten.
This kid is only in his fourth NFL season and has already seen two Pro Bowl nods and an All Pro selection. On top of the fact he gets to move back to his natural position in 2020, he’s also backed by a pass rush featuring Khalil Mack and newly-signed Robert Quinn.
Imagine the havoc this front seven is going to wreak on opposing quarterbacks. Jackson is going to have more opportunities than ever to make big things happen on broken plays and bad decisions by quarterbacks.
And that is exactly what the Bears need this season.
With the quarterback position up in the air and no one really knowing what will happen offensively, it’s going to be the defense which leads the team yet again — and Jackson is at the center of it all.
It’s time for revenge.