6 Bears Defenders on Thin Ice After Eric Washington Hiring

1. Eddie Jackson, Safety

There was a time when Eddie Jackson was the hottest safety in the NFL. A fourth-round pick out of Alabama, he was a magnet for the football with 10 interceptions in his first three seasons — including six in 2018. He made it to the Pro Bowl twice as well in that span and earned a huge contract in 2019. But since then, he has been up and down and even went two seasons without a pick.

Heading into 2024, our own Charlie Smith from Da Windy City has seen enough of Jackson. He details how excruciating it has been to watch Jackson cash in on a four-year, $58.4 million deal only to disappear. Well, not completely disappear, but mostly shows up to miss tackles.

"Remember when Eddie Jackson picked off Matthew Stafford on Thanksgiving in 2018 to seal a Bears victory? Since then we have seen Stafford win a Super Bowl with the Rams, Jared Goff lead the Lions to an NFC Championship game, and Jackson miss roughly 300 tackles." — Charlie Smith, Da Windy City

Jackson's PFF grades have more highs and lows than any theme park roller coaster and that includes a major dip this past season after showing signs of recovery in 2022. He now has a cap hit of $18.1 million which is third on the team behind Montez Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds. Chicago can save somewhere between $12 million to $14 million of that depending on the time of year they release Jackson.

The only question will be if Washington wants to try and work with him to see if they can get him back on track. If not, he could be gone before the start of the year.

Not ready to jump into the offseason just yet? Then you'll want to take advantage of FanDuel's amazing $200 promo offer for the Chiefs-49ers matchup in the big game. Just deposit $10+ through the exclusive Da Windy City link below to unlock your bonus. After that, bet $5 or more on the game and if the team you back wins you'll get your usual cash winnings plus your full $200 bonus. This offer expires soon though, so sign up for FanDuel now to unlock your $200 before it expires!

More Bears coverage