With the Chicago Bears’ season ending in the divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles are now turning the page to free agency and the 2026 NFL draft, which will play a part in their success going forward.
When it comes to free agency, the Bears will have to make some tough decisions about who will stay or leave the Windy City. The Bears are projected to have 22 unrestricted free agents this offseason, including three-year linebacker D’Marco Jackson.
Heading into 2026, there’s some uncertainty around the Bears’ LB unit. T.J. Edwards will be coming back from a fractured fibula, Tremaine Edmunds could be a possible cut candidate, and rookie Ruben Hyppolite was a disappointment in 2025. Therefore, there’s a shot that Jackson could earn a starting role in 2026.
Chicago fans didn’t have many expectations for the 27-year-old defender as the Bears picked him up off waivers from the New Orleans Saints at the end of the preseason.
In his two years with the Saints, Jackson played special teams, and that was likely going to be his job in Chicago. However, thanks to injuries at the LB spot, the Bears had to turn to Jackson, who showed that he could start in his league.
Bears Must Re-Sign D’Marco Jackson with Uncertainty at LB
Jackson made his first career start in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and exceeded all expectations set for him. The third-year defender had a ridiculous 15 combined tackles and a tackle for loss across 72 defensive snaps.
He also wasn’t terrible in pass coverage, allowing four receptions (four targets) for 20 yards, and had a passer rating of 87.5. Jackson started in Chicago’s next three games before going back to a reserve role for the final three contests of the season.
However, the Bears would break out the bat signal for Jackson again, this time in the playoffs, as he took over an injured Edwards in the wildcard round. He had five combined tackles and a tackle for loss across 56 snaps.
Then, in the divisional round against the Rams, Jackson started and compiled seven combined tackles and a pass deflection. Jackson also did a good job in coverage, only giving up 27 yards on three completions (five targets).
In fact, Pro Football Focus backs up Jackson’s playoff performance. According to PFF, he was the Bears’ fourth-highest graded defender at 76.1. He wasn’t spectacular in run defense (58.5 grade) or tackling (53.5), but had an 80.3 coverage grade, leading all Bears' defense.
PFF grades don't always tell the full story, but when those marks align with the eye test, the results are too good to ignore.
It will be interesting to see if a market develops for Jackson, especially if a team believes he could take that leap like Zack Baun. However, if you're the Bears, you selfishly hope that doesn't happen, as he fits perfectly within defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme.
That said, if the price is right, the Bears should not hesitate to get Jackson re-signed, as he could end up being a starter in 2026.