The Chicago Bears boast one of the NFL’s best defenses, and with talent that they’ve managed to lock up, it’s easy to see why. But it hasn’t come without its monetary price.
Which is why it’s so important for the Bears to not waste their championship-caliber defense with another disappointing season.
Two of the Bears defensive stars that they’ll be depending on to carry their defense are outside linebacker Khalil Mack and safety Eddie Jackson, both of which made NFL.com’s 2020 NFL All-Paid Team.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace made a franchise-altering move in trading for All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack, who signed the most lucrative defensive deal in NFL history with Chicago in 2018.
While Mack had a down season, statistically, in 2019, the impact that he’s had on this franchise in just two seasons has been invaluable.
| Signed | Full Contract | Guaranteed at Signing | 2020 Cap Hit | 2020 Cash |
| 2018 | 6 years, $141 million extension | $60 million (42.6%) | $26.6 million (18.9%) | $17.2 million |
Matt Ryan still boasts the largest contract in the NFL in terms of total value ($150 million) despite signing the extension two years ago. The runner-up? Khalil Mack at $141 million. Soon after Aaron Donald set the record for a defensive player with a $135 million deal, Mack took the market to new heights. Just seven quarterbacks have more total guarantees ($90 million) than the three-time All-Pro. Only Jared Goff, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott (franchise tag) have a higher 2020 cap charge than Mack’s $26.6 million.
By PFF metrics, Mack had one of the worst seasons of his remarkable career in 2019. He turned in his lowest pass rush grade since his rookie season in 2014 — illustrated by the fewest sacks (8.5) and QB hits (14) since Year 1, as well as the lowest run defense grade of his career. And yet, Mack is one of just four players with 8-plus sacks in each of the last five seasons (Von Miller, Chandler Jones and Donald).
Jackson is easily Pace’s best draft pick since he arrived in Chicago — and he got him for an absolute steal in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since then, Jackson has become one of the NFL’s best safeties — an instinctive player with a penchant for creating big-time plays.
So, it was an easy decision for Pace to extend Jackson this offseason, where he inked a four-year extension that made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history with his average of $14.6 million per year.
| Signed | Full Contract | Guaranteed at Signing | 2020 Cap Hit | 2020 Cash |
| 2020 | 4 years, $58.4 million extension | $22 million (37.7%) | $3.7 million (1.9%) | $13.2 million |
Eddie Jackson’s pockets got deeper this offseason after he signed an extension that boosted him into the No. 1 safety spot on this team. A fourth-round steal in 2017, Jackson has proven to be one of the Bears’ best players regardless of position.
BoJack, as he’s known, regularly finds his name in the box score; he has 10 interceptions, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and five defensive touchdowns over his first three seasons. He’s made two consecutive Pro Bowls and has a 93.4 PFF coverage grade over that span (second in the NFL, min. 25 snaps). His production took a slight dip this past season, as the Bears defense regressed as a whole, but Jackson remains one of the NFL’s most adept coverage players on the backend.
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