Eddie Jackson’s bounce-back year was one of my favorite stories to follow in 2022.
To go from a down-on-his-luck defensive back whose best days looked to be behind him to re-capturing the magic and growing into a leader for this Chicago Bears team was an absolute treat. And in a year where it was a struggle to find positive storylines on a team that lost 14 games and was bad enough to earn the first overall pick, Jackson gave us a silver lining. He leveled up his play, earned captain’s status, was the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter at free safety at the time of his season-ending injury, and took home the first-ever Ballhawk award from Head Coach Matt Eberflus.
Next up for Jackson is the Ed Block Courage Award, per NBC Sports Chicago.
This particular award is voted on by the players and is given to someone who is seen as a role model in their community, while also representing a commitment to sportsmanship, courage, and professionalism. Yep, that sounds like Jackson to a tee. Earlier in the season, Jackson opened up about the trials and tribulations he has been battling in recent years. And through it all, he has maintained his status as a good teammate and someone who gives back to the community. Toss in leadership on and off the field plus the other intangibles and it makes it easy to understand why Jackson won this award.
Moving on, Jackson will spend the offseason resting and rehabilitating from the season-ending Lisfranc injury he suffered during the Bears’ loss to the Jets. Thankfully, he won’t need surgical repair for the injury. After seeing Jackson make a strong comeback in 2022, I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in 2023.