Former Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson agrees to trade with Ravens originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Old Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson has agreed in principle to a one-year contract with the Ravens, the team announced Friday.
The Bears cut Jackson, 30, and veteran defensive lineman Cody Whitehair last February, clearing more than $21 million in cap space for the team. The cuts helped the Bears occupy the third-most cap space in the NFL. Jackson’s $5.5 million dead cap price is the most dead money the Bears will have this season.
The measures to cut both veterans were a cap-saving strategy on the board’s part. Ryan Poles shared details behind his thought process on plays at the NFL Combine in March.
“I know we published an article about them, but I just wanted to thank them for what they did for the Bears,” Poles said. “We felt it was the right time to give them the opportunity to test the market and see what’s out there for them. I wanted to do right by them and do it as early as possible so they could put their plans into action.”
Jackson was already an All-Pro cornerback in 2019. And despite struggles in 2020-21, he bounced back with a four-interception season in 2022. He didn’t have a stellar year in 2023, but finished with one interception, five pass breakups and 37 tackles.
He played all seven seasons of his NFL career with the Bears. Under the management of former GM Ryan Pace, the Bears selected Jackson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the No. 112 overall pick. It was arguably one of the best selections of Pace’s tenure.
Jackson joins the league’s best defense for the 2023 season with the Ravens. They allowed their opponents a league-leading 16.2 points per game last season. Jackson will also reunite with former Bears teammate Roquan Smith, who finished sixth in tackles last season, recording 158 takedowns.
