The Chicago Bears were very happy with Eddie Jackson in 2022. Despite missing several games at the end of the season with a foot injury, he still finished with four interceptions to lead the team and made his third Pro Bowl. There is no reason to believe GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have any plans to replace him this coming season. He’s still the best player in their secondary. That being said, it looks like the organization doesn’t plan to let him get comfortable.
Some things to keep in mind. Jackson turns 30 this December. He’s also coming off a significant injury that has proven detrimental to many careers in the past. Last but not least, his contract has two years left on it. Neither year has any guaranteed money left to pay. That means the Bears are free to unload him if they sense he might be taking a downturn in his effectiveness on the field. That might explain why they’re looking into notable safety prospect Brandon Joseph with the draft around the corner.
He revealed to The Draft Network that he was meeting with Chicago privately.
“I’ve been very with the virtual visits. I’ll be visiting the Chicago Bears later this week in person. April is always a very busy month.”
Joseph isn’t Eddie Jackson the athlete but he fits Eberflus.
Jackson has far more speed and range than the Notre Dame standout. It’s part of what makes him such a great free safety. However, Joseph fits more of what this coaching staff likes in safeties. He has the instincts and ball skills they look for, but is also very good at keying and diagnosing against the run. He’s drawn comparisons to former Cincinnati Bengals standout Jessie Bates. While he may not have Jackson’s upside, his game is well-rounded enough to be a solid #2 next to Jaquan Brisker and a contributor on special teams.
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If nothing else, Joseph would be an excellent replacement for DeAndre Houston-Carson. The longtime backup safety was highly dependable whenever Eddie Jackson went down with an injury and became a special teams ace. Joseph has that same capability. He needs to work on his tackling. If he does that, the Bears should be able to take full advantage of his outstanding ball skills. They know more about him than most teams due to Notre Dame’s proximity to Chicago. If they’re interested, it’s for a good reason.
?? So dump Jackson for the less capable backup/ special teamer?
Ok
Lol
I get that the Bears have a LOT of holes to fill (especially OL and DL), but at some point down the road Poles needs to start getting stud players if we’re going to move deep into the playoffs in another year or two. Hopefully, he’ll address the obtaining top player situation next year.
If you are looking for a Safety to replace Jackson, then get the Top Safety in the 2024 draft with your 1st round pick from Carolina. Why in the heck would you take the 9th or 10th ranked Safety according to what website you look at, anyway, NO,NO,NO THANK YOU.
Poles and the scouts are better than that. They have been doing their homework and I don’t want to believe that just because this kid goes to Notre Dame that he is on their radar…. yes maybe in the later rounds, much later but for me, NOtre Thanks!
If you are looking for a DB, you don’t have to look far, Brandon Joseph is NOT IT, if you want a big time player, then go with a player that comes from good stock, that player is JOEY PORTER JR, the confidence and swagger that this young man has is contagious, talk about pumping up your teammates and having other teams despise you. This young man is the one from this group hands down, he may be a little raw, but when you pump your fists and point to the crowd you better have game to back it up,… Read more »
I’m not sure if Brandon Joseph is the guy however I LOVE the word “insurance” for Eddie Jackson. We need that. I like Eddie a lot don’t get me wrong, but he is getting older, and that foot injury worries me a lot. In this defense, I think he could still be dominant. Other people in these comments seem to think he isn’t worth it (and maybe at this point you could replace him and trade-off saving money for a potential dip in production when a rookie comes in (which would happen eventually anyway as Eddie gets older)) however I… Read more »