The Chicago Bears are in the midst of a seemingly endless rebuild. At this point, they appear to be trying to balance planning for the future while also building for the now.
The Montez Sweat extension is an indicator of this. However, reports from sources in the organization say that the team will likely move on from veteran safety Eddie Jackson after the season.
It seems to have very little to do with Jackson’s play. Like so many decisions on veterans in the NFL, it all comes down to the salary cap.
Cutting Jackson would save the team about $12 million. That is valuable cap space to try and sign some of the other younger players or bring in a big-name free agent. It always hurts to lose a veteran because of the locker room presence and the steady hand on the field. However, this happens all the time in the NFL and is probably the right choice for the organization.
The signing of Sweat gives the Bears a solid start on the defensive line — something they have been lacking for the past couple of years. The biggest question is what the team does at the quarterback position.
Just as Justin Fields was starting to show some consistency, he went out with a thumb injury. With the likelihood of a couple of top draft picks being high, expect the Bears to try and find another quarterback instead of Fields.
It will hurt for the Chicago Bears to lose Jackson but it is probably necessary for the rebuild. Hopefully, the team can get it right this time and finally compete in the NFC.
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