Lots of people were happy when the Chicago Bears made their move to get Justin Fields back in April. One person that came as a slight surprise was safety Eddie Jackson. He had a video on Instagram pop up of him watching the pick happen live. At one point he clearly stated, “You better say Justin Fields.” When it went through, Jackson sounded more than a little elated.
One would think he knew more about Fields than some may realize. It turns out? That is exactly the case. Jackson appeared in front of the media for the first time this year before mandatory minicamps began. He talked about a number of things. Namely the promotion of his safeties coach Sean Desai to defensive coordinator. A move that has him excited since the defense will return to more of a Vic Fangio-style scheme. The one that made him a star in 2018. When asked about Fields though?
He had an interesting answer.
Jackson has always followed college football even after arriving in the NFL. A man who bleeds Alabama colors to this day. So it isn’t a huge surprise he’d have been aware of Fields. The young QB started his college career at Georgia, in the same conference as the Crimson Tide. Whenever he got opportunities to play, he flashed. This included a wild performance against Massachusetts where he threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns on just eight passes. He also ran for 100 yards and another touchdown in that game.
After that, he transferred to Ohio State. Then the entire country got to see just how good he was. So it isn’t hard to understand why Jackson grew to love him and was so excited when the pick happened.
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Eddie Jackson likely mirrors the feeling of the entire defense
They’ve had to carry the load in Chicago for years. If they don’t play good-to-great each week, the odds of winning are never high. Especially against decent teams. Age is becoming a factor with some of their core members like Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, and Khalil Mack. Jackson is entering his prime but is also coming off the worst season of his career with zero interceptions. It would be nice if the offense could start pulling its weight more often.
Something that just didn’t happen with Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles. There is now a legitimate chance that can happen with Fields. He has superstar potential. A live arm, blazing speed, and a good head on his shoulders too. Provided the Bears are smart with his development, he could change their fortunes. Eddie Jackson is right to be excited about that.
It will take time though.
Until then, the defense may still have to do the heavy lifting. Maybe Andy Dalton ends up doing more than expected in the interim. Either way, Jackson knows he has to do better himself. Last season was unacceptable given his standards. A rebound year would go a long way towards helping this team win against a nasty-looking schedule.