Not only did the Chicago Bears get beat on the scoreboard in New York, but their roster also took a beating. Darnell Mooney is lost for the year to an ankle injury. If that weren’t bad enough, there are fears the same could happen with Eddie Jackson. He appeared to crumple to the turf earlier in the game and was carted to the locker room. Initial fears were it might be an Achilles injury. However, he was quickly declared out with a “foot” issue. The fact that national insiders did not announce the severity of the issue suggests it might not be as bad as feared.
Further hope came via Mason West, a Chicago-based physical therapist who has covered the team for years for Chicago Audible. He reached out to sources and is hearing some good news on the Jackson front.
If the diagnosis were a Lisfranc injury, the star safety would require season-ending surgery to repair it. It often requires three months to recover from. Presuming West is correct and it’s a sprain, it leaves the door open that Jackson can return to play this year. That defense already has enough problems. Losing their best remaining player to a career-altering injury isn’t something they needed.
The defense will suffer without Eddie Jackson.
If Mike White could throw for three touchdowns against them, it’s not fun to think what Aaron Rodgers will do to them next week. Their pass rush remains non-existent. Their only strength left was the secondary. Now Jackson is likely to miss time while Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon recover from concussions. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Green Bay Packers hang 50 on them. Philadelphia and Buffalo will be up after that. If Bears fans thought the 2014 defense was bad, they might be in for a shock soon.
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Eddie Jackson is likely to battle back from this injury as quickly as possible. He’s watched teammates play with pain all year. He can do the same. It all comes down to the MRI tests and whether they reveal something unexpected. The odds are we’ll have a good idea of where things are at when head coach Matt Eberflus addresses the media later today. If the safety is declared “day-to-day,” it’s a surefire sign the injury isn’t season-ending. That in itself would be a major win for this team.
