The Chicago Bears could not overcome early season struggles to sneak in to the playoffs in the NFC, although, it wasn't because of their defense. They were able to take care of a key part of their defense this weekend, as the Bears gave safety Eddie Jackson a four-year contract extension that is worth $58.4 million. The new contract makes Jackson the highest-paid safety in the league, as the agreement came down on Friday. The contract includes an average annual value of $14.6 million, and $33 million in guaranteed money.
It did not take Jackson long to become a full-time starter for the Bears after they selected him out of the Alabama Crimson Tide program in the 2017 draft. He has since made 46 starts with Chicago, including in all 16 games this past season, but it was the 2018 campaign that the 26-year-old broke out. That season, he finished fourth in the league with six interceptions, but unfortunately missed his team's playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to an injury.
There is no playoff game this season for him to participate in, but he did record 60 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack for the 8-8 Bears. He also tied an NFL record, when he scored five defensive touchdowns between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the most in a two-year span. The safety has joined Deion Sanders as the only players since the 1970 season to score at least three defensive touchdowns of 65 yards or more. All of that is why Jackson is the first player from the Bears' 2017 draft class to sign an extension, and that does include starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
It did not take Jackson long to become a full-time starter for the Bears after they selected him out of the Alabama Crimson Tide program in the 2017 draft. He has since made 46 starts with Chicago, including in all 16 games this past season, but it was the 2018 campaign that the 26-year-old broke out. That season, he finished fourth in the league with six interceptions, but unfortunately missed his team's playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to an injury.
There is no playoff game this season for him to participate in, but he did record 60 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack for the 8-8 Bears. He also tied an NFL record, when he scored five defensive touchdowns between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the most in a two-year span. The safety has joined Deion Sanders as the only players since the 1970 season to score at least three defensive touchdowns of 65 yards or more. All of that is why Jackson is the first player from the Bears' 2017 draft class to sign an extension, and that does include starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
