It’s not even the end of February yet and the Chicago Bears offseason is already getting painful. Not because of what happened but because of what hasn’t happened. Two prominent quarterback names are already off the board in Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz. Rumors persist that Derek Carr isn’t available and may even receive an extension. Dak Prescott will likely be franchise tagged. So where do they go? Eddie Jackson might have an idea.
He started another Monday in fitting fashion with a cryptic tweet that was rather easy to decipher. One that hinted pretty strongly at the one quarterback name that has the NFL world balanced on a knife-edge. That being Deshaun Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler has made it crystal clear he is done with the Houston Texans after the relationship with ownership fractured thanks to miscommunication, deception, and broken promises.
Does the star Bears safety know something?
DW4️⃣🤔
— Eddie Jackson (@BoJack4) February 22, 2021
It’s hard not to get carried away by something like this. Players talk all the time. They have relationships with each other they don’t share with the media or fans. Jackson has a history with Watson that goes back to college. The two met in the national championship in 2015 between Alabama and Clemson. Is it possible they forged a relationship? There is no way to know.
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It could be Jackson is merely wondering like everybody else where Watson might go. Then again why would he be so subtle about it? Maybe he knows something others don’t. This is why such things can be maddening. The offseason is a brutal time for fans. Especially ones who know they’re a position away from possibly contending for a championship like the Bears.
Eddie Jackson is most likely just trolling
There is no way he would have any sort of inside information on what the Texans organization is planning to do. Even the Bears front office wouldn’t keep him in the loop on what they are trying to do. GM Ryan Pace always operates with as few people in the know as possible. So either Jackson is getting his information from Watson directly or he’s having a little fun at the expense of fans.
One thing is for sure. Eddie Jackson has high expectations for this coming season. He is fresh off the worst year of his NFL career. One that saw him fail to record an interception for the first time in his football life. So one person who was no doubt overjoyed that the Bears would be shifting back to the Vic Fangio-style defense under new coordinator Sean Desai was him. That system made Jackson a borderline superstar back in 2018.
Imagine him regaining that form at the same time Watson arrives?
Fans can dream. The reality is Chicago just isn’t equipped to meet what will undoubtedly be an exorbitant cost to get him. The Texans have made it clear they aren’t trading him, which means a standoff is underway. Watson appears intent on doing whatever it takes to get out of Houston. That includes sitting out the season if he must. Sooner or later one has to think the organization will be forced to move him.
The only way that ends up being the Bears is if the quarterback makes it clear he wants to come here. He does have a no-trade clause in his contract, which grants him some control over that decision. It’s just hard to imagine that being the case.