Chicago Bears Free Agency Position Preview: Safety

Last year, tons of Chicago Bears fans wanted general manager Ryan Poles to use a second-round pick on a wide receiver or offensive lineman.

Instead, Poles went the exact opposite route, selecting two defensive backs with both of his second rounders. One of those was cornerback Kyler Gordon.

The other? Well, he might be one of the best, all-around, up-and-coming safeties in football, Jaquan Brisker.

Thankfully, that now means the Bears are pretty well set at safety. But, going into free agency next month, it’s still worth talking about the position as a whole.

Fortunately, the Chicago Bears won’t have to focus much on safety during 2023 NFL free agency

Bears safeties under contract for 2023:

Eddie Jackson

Jaquan Brisker

Adrian Colbert

Elijah Hicks

Who would have thought Eddie Jackson would bounce back last season? Many fans, myself included, thought the team would be better off without him going into last year. He had taken a step back. His effort clearly wasn’t there, and the missed tackles continued to pile up. It was frustrating.

But, something changed before the 2022 campaign. Jackson came out much more energized and motivated, and you could tell he was back.

Combine Jackson with the young buck, Jaquan Brisker, and the Bears have one heck of a tandem at safety going forward. Because of this, safety isn’t a great need for them during free agency.

Bears free agent safeties for 2023:

DeAndre Houston-Carson

This guy is the highlight of the topic at hand, because DeAndre Houston-Carson has been a Bear for the last seven years now. And, he’s played well in his role. Whether it’s on special teams or as a fill-in during injury, Houston-Carson has been a pro’s pro. He’s continued to show up, play well and be a great teammate.

The Bears could very well bring him back for another year or two and call it a day at the safety position. Quite frankly, that’s what they should do when it’s all said and done. This roster doesn’t have a lot of continuity, but the safety position is one that could have just that. Bringing him back makes sense, as he’s only about to turn 30 and has continued to provide the Bears with excellent depth.

Best available free agent safeties in 2023:

Jessie Bates

Jordan Poyer

Jimmie Ward

Adrian Amos

Devin McCourty

Vonn Bell

We won’t spend too much time talking about the available free agent safeties this year, and again it’s because the Bears likely have the position figured out going forward. If they do decide to keep Jackson into the 2023 season, then they have their two starters between he and Brisker.

Now, if for some reason the Bears decided to trade Jackson, then that becomes a whole different story. It’s tough seeing that happening at this point, though, after the bounce-back year Jackson had in 2022 and also the fact that he was named the Bears’ Ed Block Courage Award winner.

Jackson returned to form in 2022 and his chemistry within the secondary room should count for something as well. It seems as though he and Matt Eberflus found a connection and the former All Pro still has plenty left in the tank.