Will the Bears Keep Eddie Jackson After His Cryptic Message?

Eddie Jackson is entering the final year of his contract with the Bears. He's the third-highest-paid player on the Bears only behind Tremaine Edmunds and Montez Sweat. But is Jackson worth that price tag?

Jackson is the fifth-highest-paid free safety in the NFL behind Justin Simmons, Marcus Williams, Budda Baker, and Quandre Diggs. But do his statistics back up his heavy price tag?

Top Free Safeties in the NFL

Via Pro Football Reference

Out of the top five highest-paid safeties in the NFL, Jackson has the second-lowest number of passes defended and interceptions, only ahead of Baker. So what does this mean?

Take a look at Baker's numbers. He's only defended 34 passes in his 105-game career. Baker has seven interceptions in his career, by far the fewest among those listed above.

Diggs has the second-highest number of passes defended and also has the second-highest number of interceptions and he's the highest-paid safety in the league. Is he worth it?

Are interceptions the only statistic that matters when it comes to NFL safeties? Not necessarily, although it's an incredibly important one. But take a look at the forced fumbles and recoveries categories. Jackson is the best of this group, and it's not particularly close. Bojack forced 10 fumbles, recovered six of them, and scored on three.

That's a different form of a takeaway, and it needs to be factored into the equation. In this aspect, Jackson is a crucial piece for the Bears even if he hasn't punched a football out since 2022.

What's the bottom line of these numbers? Jackson is still among the upper echelon of NFL safeties and should be paid accordingly. But is that going to happen in Chicago?

Eddie Jackson's Future with the Chicago Bears

The Bears have approximately $48 million in salary cap space for the 2024 season, according to Spotrac. This includes Eddie Jackson's $18.1 million cap hit. But could the Bears find a trade partner and save some of that money? It's possible.

Bojack posted a cryptic message on his Instagram saying, "All Love Chi-Town," which could be foreshadowing his departure from the Windy City. If this is true, then the Bears can save some of his salary and use it on potential free agents.

Since his numbers are down from the standard he set, Jackson could be on his way out of Chicago permanently. And with the Bears' current front office successfully building the defense through the draft, this feels like the avenue Ryan Poles and Co. will take.

Poles has found gems on the defensive side of the ball in the draft such as Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, and Gervon Dexter Sr. He's also supported the draft picks with high-quality free agents like Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds, and T.J. Edwards.

In this GM, Bears fans can trust. Poles can potentially find a trade partner to ship Jackson elsewhere. The Bears can then find his replacement in the NFL Draft, and that isn't something to fear with many picks in hand.

The bottom line is that Jackson could be on his way out of Chicago and his social media "message" is only a tease of what may come in the next few months. The move could be beneficial for both parties as the Bears could save some salary-cap dollars and Jackson could join a championship-caliber organization ready to compete for a title.