(670 The Score) Bears safety Eddie Jackson was enjoying a strong 2022 season before suffering a Lisfranc injury in late November. His hopes of returning to the Pro Bowl were dashed, and he suddenly faced a difficult road to recovery.
During the Bears' final week of OTAs earlier in June, Jackson joined the starting defense on the field, marking his recovery from the left foot injury. Now, his focus is on returning to top form in his seventh NFL season and showcasing himself once again as a Pro Bowl-caliber safety.
The first key in Jackson's return was trusting that he’s healthy enough to backpedal and cut to make plays in the secondary.
“(I’m) not thinking about injuries,” Jackson said. “Just going out there and being myself.”
Returning from injury certainly isn’t anything new for Jackson, who suffered a broken leg as a senior at Alabama, which led to him falling in the NFL Draft. The Bears selected Jackson in the fourth round in 2017 with the belief that he could be a staple in their secondary, and he has been just that.
Jackson started all 16 games as a rookie in 2017 and emerged as one of the best young safeties in the league. He earned Pro Bowl honors each of the next two seasons and recorded eight interceptions and three touchdowns from 2017-’19.
Jackson's performance fell off in 2020 and 2021 after he earned a lucrative long-term contract extension. He didn't record an interception across those two seasons and too often struggled with aggressiveness in tackling.
After Matt Eberflus took over as the Bears’ head coach in 2022 and reviewed film, he spoke of offering Jackson a fresh start. Jackson embraced that opportunity and stepped in as a key leader and player on defense.
“His ability to handle adversities,” Eberflus said. “And he’s had that throughout his whole career. Coming out of college, he had that. He’s had that in some different avenues in his life. He’s just a strong man. I just commend him for standing on solid ground.
“He looks at adversity as opportunity, and I think that’s a great way to look at it. When you see adversity hits, he sees opportunity to show greatness and to get stronger.”
Bears second-year safety Jaquan Brisker also saw Jackson push himself throughout his recovery from his most recent injury.
"Really just put his head down and locked in and really tried to focus on getting back with us," Brisker said.
"I feel like he did a good job coming in here, getting healthy, getting back on the field. He looks good."
At 29 years old, Jackson understands he can't take anything for granted on the football field. He has elevated his game to the highest level, fallen off to a disappointing place, battled injuries and now faces his toughest task yet – playing at a Pro Bowl level again after coming off a serious foot injury.
Jackson believes success is on the horizon for the Bears. He senses that confidence from his teammates too and has been reinvigorated by returning to the field.
“When you have a team like that, something special is going to happen,” Jackson said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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