Total Shock: The Bears in a total mess as two of their top committed players have departed unexpectedly announcing a new deal with…..
Although free agency won’t be available for months, teams may not need to wait that long to add a two-time Pro Bowl player to their squad. Eddie Jackson was first chosen by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Jackson became one of the greatest safeties in the game following a strong rookie season, making the Pro Bowl in 2019 and earning All-Pro recognition in 2018. The Bears rewarded Jackson with a four-year, $58.4 million contract after these two seasons.
His play hasn’t been as steady after then, though. Despite having an incredible 2022, he struggled in 2023 and became the focus of trade rumors as the year went on. With his release, the Chicago Bears will free up $12.56 million in cap space, so it’s just a matter of time until the former All-Pro finds a new team. Eddie Jackson, who recently said Chicago farewell on Instagram, is aware of this as well.
Eddie Jackson Bids The Chicago Bears Farewell, May Be Released
It’s important to remember that Eddie Jackson is likely not going to break the bank with his new team and is coming off of a really bad season. Out of 95 qualified players, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 76th best safety in the game with an overall grade of 58.6.
He is still capable of excellent play, even though 2023 was not a good year for him. His career-high 76.2 PFF grade in 2022, which placed him 13th out of 88 safeties, was his finest mark. Eddie Jackson is a terrific low-risk, high-reward investment that the following five clubs could look into, although his true ability probably rests somewhere in between these two marks.
Possible Next Groups
Saints of New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints are stuck in salary cap hell once more. Although they will eventually find a way out of it, they will still need to shop around for deals in free agency. Even though Tyrann Mathieu is still an excellent player, New Orleans may need a backup safety in the backfield. Eddie Jackson and Mathieu might make up one of the league’s top safety tandems, and he shouldn’t break the bank.
Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, and Geno Stone of the Baltimore Ravens were one of the league’s top safety trios the previous season. Eddie Jackson would be useless to the Ravens if all three players returned in 2024. But with Kyle Van Noy, Justin Madubuike, and Jadeveon Clowney all expected to hit free agency, Geno Stone is a free agent and Baltimore may not be able to re-sign him. Jackson has the biggest upside of any player who is likely to be in Baltimore’s price range, thus this team may need to find a replacement that is more affordable.
Michael Hyde and Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills were formerly the best football safety tandem. But the two have begun to taper down and don’t offer the same level of superior over-the-top coverage as they did a few seasons ago. Buffalo will need to start looking for deals because they are much over the salary cap and may not be able to sign Hyde again in free agency. Rather than overpaying for an outdated safety, such as Eddie Jackson, who might perform better than a cheap bargain. He might not be able to regain his previous level of performance, but he will undoubtedly be more economical, and Buffalo needs that right now.
Bengals of Cincinnati
Although Jordan Battle excels as a safety, the Cincinnati Bengals require a second starter. The team won’t break the cash on safety even if they have a fair amount of cap room right now. They’ll need to budget for Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and offensive line upgrades. Eddie Jackson is a perfect match for this squad, and if he performs well, he might be the missing element needed to defeat the Chiefs in the postseason.
Panthers of Carolina
The Carolina Panthers ought to strengthen their offensive line throughout the summer. They can’t entirely disregard the defense, though, so they’ll probably be looking to sign inexpensive free agents who can contribute in the secondary. Eddie Jackson is a perfect fit for this role and has the potential to support a defense that will probably have to carry the team in 2024.
