There was an increased level of concern when the first Bears injury report of the week dropped and safety Eddie Jackson was listed as not having practiced. How could this be? Head Coach Matt Nagy told reporters at Halas Hall prior to practice that the plan was for Jackson to test his injured ankle. What happened?
While meeting reporters on Thursday, Nagy had an explanation. Well, sort of:
Bears HC Matt Nagy just now on FS Eddie Jackson (ankle): “We felt like, for yesterday, it was best to not have him practice.”
…weather conditions did not affect that decision.
Nagy won’t say whether Jackson will practice Thursday.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) January 3, 2019
And don’t go to Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio for answers and updates on Jackson’s health, either:
Fangio says he's not certain of FS Eddie Jackson's status for Sunday's game. Says Deon Bush's 2 starts at the end of the season have prepared him to fill in.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 3, 2019
So the Bears tested Jackson’s injured ankle before Wednesday’s practice, which I suppose is good news in the grand scheme of things. However, Nagy and the Bears’ training staff decided against putting him through practice – which is a bit unsettling. Then again, this could simply be the latest example of the team being extra cautious by handling the return of its Pro Bowl safety with care. And there is nothing wrong with that because having Jackson ready for kick-off is much more important than having him for some mid-week practice snaps. But still … Jackson is essentially day-to-day at this point.
While Nagy wouldn’t say whether Jackson would join the team for Thursday’s practice, he didn’t rule it out. So if you’re an optimist, you’re probably more likely to lean on that crutch while you can. Jackson, along with the Bears’ coaches, doctors, and training staff will probably go through the same process they did yesterday and see if today is any different than the day before. If Jackson says he feels good and can prove it, then there is a chance we’ll see No. 39 show up on the injury report as something other than DNP. But until then, everyone is playing the waiting game.