NEWSLETTER
During an appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” program on Monday, Eddie Jackson let it be known that he wants to play offense.
Today, Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy was asked about Jackson’s plea to play on the other side of the ball:
Responding to Eddie Jackson's desire to get some snaps on offense, Matt Nagy says: "He's going to play the Zebra receiver and we're just going to let teams prepare for him there."
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 12, 2020
Having watched Nagy’s press conference (which you can view for yourself below) I can’t help but think he mentioned playing Jackson at the Zebra spot with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. But what if Nagy wasn’t joking around? What if Nitch Trufolesky’s new favorite target is a converted safety? This could be a game-changer come September.
Think about it. With five defensive touchdowns, Jackson has proven he has a nose for the end zone. Jackson also has good hands (for a defensive back), excellent speed (no caveats there — he’s fast!), and superb athleticism (again, no caveats). Certainly, Jackson possesses skills that would make him worth trying out at receiver. So, at minimum, Jackson’s case should be heard by the coaches. It could be Devin Hester all over again!
In the end, I don’t think Nagy is moving Jackson to the offense full time. But with the mere mention of Jackson playing the “Zebra” role in Nagy’s offense, opposing coaches have to keep it in mind. Bare minimum: Coaches must prepare for it just in case Nagy isn’t bluffing. I mean, who wants to be the coach who gets burned on a Trufolesky-Jackson connection because he didn’t prepare for the possibility? Not something I’d want to deal with. So … good luck with that, opposing defensive coaches. As if trying to stop Allen Robinson wasn’t going to be difficult enough!
Even still … Eddie Jackson as the “Zebra” receiver has a nice ring to it. Just saying…
