When the Chicago Bears claimed linebacker D'Marco Jackson off waivers in late August, few saw him as anything more than an emergency depth option who would exclusively play on special teams. Having played under current defensive coordinator and ex-head coach Dennis Allen in New Orleans for two seasons, the 27-year-old LB had some familiarity with the defense, but he was firmly behind several defenders on the depth chart.
Before the season, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell were the three linebackers who would see the lion's share of defensive snaps. The Bears had just reached for Ruben Hyppolite in the fourth round, highlighting how highly they saw the rookie out of Maryland. Jackson was understandably buried in the rotation, playing only one defensive snap until Week 6. Since then, however, he has turned himself into an irreplaceable defender for Chicago.
D'Marco Jackson Continues to Be a Big Offseason Steal for the Bears
During Edmunds' absence, Jackson took over as the starter in Week 12 and became an every-down player for Dennis Allen. Over the last four weeks, he has arguably been the best defender for the Bears. He just had his best game of the season against the Browns, winning Pro Football Focus' Defensive Player of the Week, as noted by former NFL tight end Clay Harbor. He was a perfect seven-of-seven on tackles and only allowed two receptions for three yards on five targets in coverage.
In fact, Jackson is currently the highest-graded defender on the Bears on PFF for the season (83.8). Grades don't always tell the story, but the fact that his mark is also fifth-best among 88 eligible TEs this season can't be ignored.
At the same time, Jackson's performance might also complicate general manager Ryan Poles' offseason decisions. Since Jackson is a pending free agent, the Bears have to sign him to a new deal. With Sewell, Hyppolite, Edwards, and Edmunds all under contract for at least another year, the Bears have to make a difficult decision. Since Edmunds has an out on his contract after this year, they could move on from him, but he has been significantly better than Sewell this season. Plus, Hyppolite hasn't really shown much to justify having a roster spot next season. But would the Bears punt on their fourth-round pick after only a year?
Regardless of what the front office decides to do with the rest of the rotation, the Bears have found a big steal in Jackson, and he should definitely be a part of the plans going forward.