Chicago Bears Blue-Chip Player: Eddie Jackson, S
People don’t want to believe it, but Eddie Jackson is still a blue-chip player. The problem is, just like Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, Jackson doesn’t have many years left to play in his prime. Can you believe he’s going to be 29 years old already and going into his sixth season of the NFL? Where does the time go?
Jackson was amazing in 2018 and 2019, but there has been this narrative that he cannot tackle. The funny thing is that people weren’t complaining about his tackling in 2018 and 2019 when his missed tackle rates were the highest of his career. In 2018, Jackson’s missed-tackle rate was 17.7%. He improved on that in 2019 as it dropped to 15.5%. Guess what? His missed tackle rate was only 9.5% in 2021.
The difference we are seeing with Eddie Jackson since his All-Pro seasons in 2018 and 2019 is that he has been exposed more in the passing game. Last year, Jackson allowed 65.9% of his targets to be completed and he gave up six touchdowns. The problem with these stats is that many of the touchdowns given up were due to breakdowns in coverage by the cornerbacks.
How many times did we see Kindle Vildor, Marqui Christian or Duke Shelley allowing guys to blow past them thinking they are in zone coverage with safety help over the top to then see Jackson visibly frustrated because he knew the corner made a mistake.
We saw how the team struggled against the 49ers after Jackson went down with a hamstring injury. The Chicago Bears allowed 18 points in just the fourth quarter. The team could have used him in their loss to the Ravens too as Mark Andrews dominated against the linebackers and backup safeties. Needless to say, his presence was missing — especially his mind and ability to coach up other defensive backs.
What Jackson has been missing is his big-play ability. He isn’t getting his hands on the ball as he did early in his career. Last year he saw time playing in the nickel spot, I wonder if Alan Williams and Matt Eberflus keep up that trend in 2022. The Chicago Bears need Jackson to find that play-making ability again and solidify his blue-chip stats.