Bears Sign Safety Eddie Jackson to Record-Breaking 4-Year Extension

The Chicago Bears will live and die by their tremendous defense, and they decided to lock up on one of the key young pieces of that unit for the better part of the new decade.

Safety Eddie Jackson, who made 60 tackles and picked off two passes in 16 games this season, has signed a four-year, $58.4 million extension with Chicago that includes $33 million in guarantees. He is now the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

#Bears and safety Eddie Jackson have reached agreement on a 4-year, $58.4M extension with $33M in total guarantees, per his agency. The deal makes him the highest paid safety in league history.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 3, 2020

Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Jackson started from Day 1 and has quickly become one of the best safeties in all of football. The two-time Pro Bowler has picked off 10 passes in three years, including six during his All-Pro season in 2018. Jackson also has 184 tackles and two sacks to his name in his career.

Jackson became the first player drafted in 2017 to receive a contract extension, and has set the market for other elite defensive backs like the Jets' Jamal Adams, also drafted in 2017.

Per source, S Eddie Jackson has agreed to an extension with the Bears, per source. He becomes the first eligible 2017 draft pick to sign a second contract. In new money, he'll be the highest paid safety in league history.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 3, 2020

The Bears have plenty of questions to answer on offense in 2020, but their defensive backfield doesn't need tons of work, as Jackson is in place as a long-term building block.