Bear Digest

Eddie Jackson Wouldn't Mind Pro Bowl Tag

Eddie Jackson revealed good news about his foot injury but isn't too happy about being left off Pro Bowl ballots for coaches and players.

Gene Chamberlain

In this story:

 Eddie Jackson has always used social media to let fans know what's going on in his life.

Now, even though his season has ended due to injury, he's letting them know what he thinks about the NFL's Pro Bowl voting process.

Jackson led in NFC fan voting at safety but then against the Jets suffered his season-ending foot (Lisfranc) injury, one which will not require surgery and should let him come back to practice sooner next offseason.

Still, Jackson played the first 12 games. That's 70.5% of the season and would like to at least say he was a Pro Bowl player that year. It's not unreasonable for a player to make it with that much playing time, especially if he had four interceptions and still ranks among league leaders.

However, his name was removed from the ballot because he's on injured reserve. It's the NFL policy to take players' names off who are on IR.

Voting for fans just ended but there is a ballot for players and coaches to vote and their voting counts two-thirds.

So Jackson isn't going to make it.

Jackson must really be upset about it because he's calling Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson "my boy Chauncey," and saying he should be on the ballot, as well. Gardner-Johnson is the player who coaxed Javon Wims and Anthony Miller into ejections in 2020 during two games. 

But Jackson is right about Gardner-Johnson, who has a league-high six interceptions. Gardner-Johnson went on IR with a lacerated kidney at the end of November, the same time as Jackson.

Gardner-Johnson is supposed to return but it might keep him out of the Pro Bowl, as well. Considering he is expected to return, it's even worse that Gardner-Johnson isn't on the ballot. 

Actually, no one is making the Pro Bowl, as everyone already knew. There is no game. Instead, there is Pro Bowl week with various skill competitions and then a flag football game at the end. 

It's being able to attach the Pro Bowl tag to the name that counts. 

In past years, numerous players made the Pro Bowl, received the honor and then withdrew from the game for what they said was an injury. Some might have been totally inconsequential issues—runny nose, athlete's foot or hangnail—but they still were counted as Pro Bowl players for making the team. 

Aaron Rodgers, for instance, made it in 2021 and 2020 and withdrew both times. His record still includes Pro Bowl seasons then. He withdrew in earlier seasons, as well. Khalil Mack did the same thing with the Bears after the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Jackson made it in 2018 and 2019 but in a year when he was on track to make it and played 12 games, he's not on the ballot now. 

Considering the lack of importance attached to the entire thing, Jackson probably shouldn't worry about it. 

However, it's that pride thing, the extra tag of being a Pro Bowl player that can even mean money to some players in with incentives and also provides prestige. It can't hurt during contract negotations to say you were a Pro Bowl player, either. 

Jackson might have a point, based on the fact there is no real Pro Bowl game. Why should a player be dropped from consideration when there really isn't even a game now? All they have is a flag football game and skills competition.

What harm would it be to name a player to the Pro Bowl team who had a season-ending injury but played most of the year?

Besides, 12 games should be enough to get a player considered for the team.

Being a Pro Bowl player would be another feather in the cap for a player who would want to stay in Chicago and keep playing under terms of his contract.

The Bears probably have no shot at another player in the Pro Bowl. 

Cole Kmet and Jaquan Brisker were eighth in voting by fans and fullback Khari Blasingame 10th. Any vote by players and coaches seems unlikely to make up deficits they would face.

TICKETS TO SEE JUSTIN FIELDS AND THE BEARS AVAILABLE THROUGH SI TICKETS

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News