The Chicago Bears will have a rather enviable salary cap situation heading into the offseason, but that does not mean everyone on their roster will be safe from getting cut.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department is projecting that the Bears will part ways with safety Eddie Jackson this offseason, as doing so would save them $12.6 million in cap space.
Chicago is already slated to have $49 million in cap room going into the offseason, so releasing Jackson—who is entering the final year of his deal—would further bolster the team’s ability to sign free agents.
There was a time when Jackson was one of the league’s best safeties, but it seems that his best days are behind him.
This past season, Jackson played in just 12 games and registered 37 tackles, an interception and five passes defended. It represented the second straight year that he was limited to 12 contests, and he has not played a full campaign since 2020.
Jackson, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He played all 16 games during his rookie campaign, recording 73 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and a pair of defensive touchdowns.
The 30-year-old then broke out in 2018, racking up 51 tackles, a sack, six picks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, 15 passes defended and two defensive scores. That earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Jackson notched his second straight Pro Bowl appearance in 2019 after finishing with 82 tackles, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Since then, however, Jackson has merely been a mediocre safety who has been plagued by injuries, so you can see why he end up being a cap casualty of the Bears this offseason.
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