Bears bring back a familiar face and Dennis Allen reunites with a former depth player as the team lands two additions off the waiver wire

After going through the process, the Bears have officially made two waiver claims and the two players are now expected to join the 53-man roster.

Bears claim Jaylon Jones and D'Marco Jackson off waivers

Bears fans with a keen memory might recognize one of those two names. Defensive back Jaylon Jones is back on the roster and will provide some extra depth to the secondary as well as on special teams.

Jones spent the first three seasons of his career (2022-2024) with the Bears. Chicago placed Jones on the injured reserve last November after suffering a shoulder injury. After letting his contract expire, Jones signed with the Arizona Cardinals to reunite with a former high school teammate in quarterback Kyler Murray while the Bears opted to sign free agents Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud.

Jones was waived by the Cardinals on Tuesday during the team's final roster cuts, opening the door for him to return in Chicago. Jones played eight games for the Bears in 2024 and played 66% of the team's snaps on special teams.

As for D'Marco Jackson, the former New Orleans Saints fifth-round pick gets to reunite with his former head coach in Bears' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and add some depth at linebacker. Jackson played 27 games for the Saints over the last two years and was heavily involved on special teams as well.

To get more insight into the new addition, A to Z Sports New Orleans beat writer Adam Holt shared some of his thoughts on Jackson after watching him play with the Saints:

"D’Marco Jackson was a staff favorite at his position with Dennis Allen’s group prior to this season in New Orleans. When healthy, Jackson played with great effort and often made some key plays on special teams for the Saints. In the end, he was on the short end of the stick during roster cutdowns for New Orleans due to recent draft picks, Danny Stutsman and Jaylan Ford. Those two linebackers pushed Jackson down the depth chart a ways, and Isaiah Stalbird made too many standout special teams plays to get let go as well."

"Jackson was a victim of a crowded LB room for the Saints, with two clear veteran starters leading it. Excited to see what he does with this opportunity, reunited with some familiar coaches. The Saints were hoping to get him back on their practice squad, but the Bears made sure that didn’t happen."

When constructing the initial 53-man roster, the Bears kept five linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite II, and Carl Jones Jr. while placing Amen Ogbongbemiga on the injured reserve to start the season.

As a result of these successful claims, the Bears will have to free up two roster spots before officially adding Jones and Jackson to the squad.