Who has it better than Eddie Jackson right now?
The Bears’ safety just signed a massive four-year extension worth $58.4 million, and he was voted to his second career Pro Bowl in just three seasons.
While making the Pro Bowl is an honor, there’s one place Jackson would rather be.
“I’d rather be playing in [the Super Bowl] than here any day,” he said following Wednesday’s practice in Orlando. “We’ve got next year coming and I’m excited about it. We’ve got a while to go before football starts back up. But we’re just ready to get back to it for real.”
The Bears are coming off a disappointing 2019 season, where they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. When you factor in the high expectations for this season — where some considered the Bears Super Bowl contenders at one point before the season — it makes 8-8 feel more like 3-13.
Chicago is aiming to right the ship for 2020, which will focus primarily on getting the offense on track. Questions linger at quarterback, tight end, offensive line and especially the run game.
But the defense is in much better shape, with their only concern is the decline in takeaways from a season ago. Luckily for the Bears, they locked up a core player in their defensive backfield in Jackson for the long term.
Jackson is appearing in his second Pro Bowl, where he’s one of three players representing the Bears in Orlando this week. Kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson and cornerback Kyle Fuller are also in attendance, while Khalil Mack bowed out with an injury.
“It’s always a blessing when you get picked to come out here,” Jackson said. “It’s fun just to be around the guys and see different type of personalities off the field.”
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