If you think you missed football, you probably don’t miss it as much as Bears safety Eddie Jackson.
The two-time Pro Bowl safety is itching to return to the football field in preparation of the 2020 season. He’d even jump at the opportunity to be in a meeting room watching film with the defensive backs. Yeah, he’s got it bad.
“Man, I’m just ready to get back,” Jackson told reporters Thursday. “I don’t care if they tell us to wear a facemask in the building. They just need to let us back in the building.
“I really miss football and it’s like I don’t know if I can say it enough. I’d give up anything right now just to go sit in a meeting room right now just to watch film with my teammates. It’s just so crazy. I feel like this is the longest I’ve ever went without playing football.”
Following a disappointing 2019 season, it’s safe to assume the entire team is eager to get back on the field and prove that last year was a fluke. Luckily, they’ve got the high character guys to do just that.
“One thing about our group of guys is we have good chemistry and everyone’s a special type of guy,” Jackson said. ” No one I feel like is too big. Everyone is humble. Everyone is willing to learn and accept different challenges.
“For us, we’re going to pick up right where we left off at, but we’re going to get better at a lot of different things. We need to get better in the defensive backs room. All of that really starts [by] building relationships with guys.”
While the Bears defense is coming off a solid 2019 season, there’s certainly room for improvement. Heading into the second year under defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, there’s a sense of comfortability and confidence for this unit.
The defensive backs room will look a tad different in 2020, as the Bears will have to fill the vacancies left by cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
But there’s certainly something to look forward to in 2020. Jackson will move back to his natural free safety position, where he’s made a name for himself as a ballhawking playmaker.
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