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Eddie Jackson has just signed a 4-year deal and will be staying with the Chicago Bears. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have just made their first major offseason move when it comes to securing their dominant defense moving forward. Friday, it was announced that the Bears re-signed Jackson to a 4-year deal worth $58.4 million. The deal will give Jackson, who was an All-Pro in 2018 and is a Pro Bowler this season, $33 million guaranteed with $14.6 million a year, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
The #Bears and star S Eddie Jackson agree to terms on a 4-year extension worth $58.4M, per his agents @_SportsTrust. He gets $33M total guarantee, $22M fully guaranteed. $14.6M yearly average is the highest at the position. Big money.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2020
Jackson had expressed interest in re-signing with the Bears last season, and it seems obvious that keeping him in Chicago was a major priority for the team. Not only did the Bears make him the highest-paid safety in the league, they made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
Jackson still had one year remaining on his rookie contract prior to signing this contract extension. Jackson will begin his fourth season with the Bears in 2020, and in his first three seasons, he has already established himself as one of the best safeties in the league.
The Bears drafted Jackson in the fourth round of the 2017 draft with the #112 overall pick, and he earned under $3 a year in his first three seasons.
After his first year playing with Jackson in 2018, All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack said this about Jackson: “That guy’s a special player, special talent. Great leader, on and off the field. He’s always in the right position to make plays. You see it week in and week out. He’s the best safety in the league to me, for sure.”
