Free agency is months away, but teams might not have to wait that long to add two-time Pro Bowler to their roster. The Chicago Bears originally selected Eddie Jackson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After a promising rookie campaign, Jackson established himself as one of the best safeties in the game, winning All-Pro honors in 2018 and making the Pro Bowl in 2019. Following these two seasons, the Bears rewarded Jackson with a four-year, $58.4 million deal.
However, since then, his play has not been as consistent. While he had a fantastic 2022, he struggled in 2023 and was the subject of trade rumors as the year progressed. Now, the Chicago Bears can save $12.56 million in cap space by releasing him, so it’s only a matter of time before the former All-Pro moves on to a new team. Eddie Jackson realizes this as well, as he recently said goodbye to Chicago via Instagram.
Eddie Jackson Says Goodbye To Chicago Bears, Release Likely
It’s worth noting that Eddie Jackson is coming off a relatively poor season and probably won’t break the bank with his new team. According to Pro Football Focus, his 58.6 overall grade made him the 76th-best safety in the game out of 95 eligible players.
However, just because he struggled in 2023 does not mean he’s not still capable of great play. In 2022, his 76.2 PFF grade was the second-best of his career and ranked 13th out of 88 safeties. Eddie Jackson’s true ability probably lies somewhere in between these two marks, but he’s a great low-risk, high-reward investment whom the following five teams could pursue.
Potential Next Teams
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are in salary cap hell once again, and while they’ll inevitably wiggle their way out of it, they’ll still need to do some bargain shopping in free agency. Tyrann Mathieu is still a great player, but New Orleans could use another starting-caliber safety in the backfield. Eddie Jackson shouldn’t break the bank, and he has the potential to form one of the best safety duos in the league with Mathieu.
Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, and Geno Stone formed one of the best safety trios in the league last year. If all three players came back in 2024, then the Ravens would have no use for Eddie Jackson. However, Geno Stone is a free agent and Baltimore might not be able to re-sign him with Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney, and Kyle Van Noy all set to reach the open market. This team might need to find a cost-effective replacement, and Jackson has the highest ceiling of any player likely to be in Baltimore’s price range.
Buffalo Bills
Jordan Poyer and Michael Hyde used to be the best safety duo in football. However, the two have started slowing down and no longer provide the elite over-the-top coverage from a few seasons ago. With Buffalo significantly over the salary cap, they’ll need to start bargain-hunting and might not be able to bring back Hyde in free agency. Instead of spending big on an older safety, someone like Eddie Jackson who could outperform a low-money deal. Perhaps he can’t recapture his old form, but he’ll probably be more cost-effective, and that’s what Buffalo needs right now.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jordan Battle is a great safety, but the Cincinnati Bengals need to find a second starter. While the team currently has a healthy amount of cap space, they’ll need to set aside some money for Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and offensive line upgrades, so they probably won’t break the bank on safety. Eddie Jackson is an ideal fit for this team, and if he pans out, he could be the missing piece to take down the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers should spend their offseason shoring up the offensive side of the ball. However, they can’t completely ignore the defense, which means they’ll likely be interested in pursuing low-cost free agents who can provide adequate play in the secondary. Eddie Jackson fits this description to a tee and could help shore up a defense that will likely need to carry the team in 2024.
Main Photo: Dan Powers – USA Today Sports
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