The Chicago Bears went into their matchup against the New York Jets in Week 12 behind the eight-ball. Quarterback Justin Fields was ruled out with a shoulder injury, leaving the team without their most dynamic player against a defense that has been thriving this season.
Without Fields in the lineup, the Bears went into MetLife Stadium and left without much of a whimper, losing 31-10. That was their fifth consecutive loss, dropping their record to 3-9 on the season. As if another mark on the loss ledger wasn’t enough, Chicago also looks to have lost another key player to injury.
In the second quarter, Jets’ quarterback Mike White hit wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, in the middle of the field. As Wilson was making his move up the field, a Bears player was seen crumbling to the ground in the middle of the play. Wilson took full advantage, scoring a 54-yard touchdown.
The player who went down in a heap was safety Eddie Jackson. Jackson is one of the last standing established players on their defense after they traded Khalil Mack in the offseason and then parted ways with Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith ahead of the trade deadline. Now, they will likely be without Jackson as well.
The Bears fear that Jackson suffered a significant Lisfranc injury to his foot. While nothing has been announced officially, as Jackson is still undergoing evaluation, the expectation is that he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Depending on how serious of an injury he suffered, Jackson’s status for the 2023 season could also be up in the air. There are instances that Lisfranc injuries take at least 12 months to recover from.
Jackson, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama, has been a near every down player for the Bears this season, playing 94 percent of the snaps. Replacing him will be virtually impossible as he is an integral part of their game plan.
On the season, Jackson has 80 combined tackles, one for loss, to go along with four interceptions, six passes defended and two forced fumbles. That is a lot of production that will be gone from the lineup as special teamer Elijah Hicks looks like he will get the first chance at replacing Jackson in the lineup.
