After emerging as a key contributor during the 2025 season, linebacker D’Marco Jackson returns to Chicago on a two-year deal worth up to $10.5 million.
D’Marco Jackson was one of the unsung heroes for the Chicago Bears during the 2025 season.
As Chicago was ravaged by injuries on the defensive side of the ball, the 27-year-old linebacker and former fifth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints stepped up in place of Tremaine Edmunds and performed very well.
Jackson was initially claimed by the Bears after being cut by the Saints late in the preseason, and by Week 12 he was already making a significant impact. In a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson recorded 15 tackles for the Bears. In Week 15, he added a sack and an interception against the Cleveland Browns, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Dennis Allen’s 4–3 based defense, which relies heavily on sub-packages, leans on man coverage and the ability to generate pressure with a four-man front while occasionally dialing up linebacker blitzes. Jackson’s burst of speed and sideline-to-sideline pursuit stood out for the Bears in 2025, making him a natural fit in Allen’s scheme.
Allen, of course, was already familiar with Jackson from their two seasons together in New Orleans. He knew the kind of role Jackson could play in this defense and how his athletic profile translated into the system. Now, as Jackson enters free agency, the Bears have agreed to a deal to bring him back.
According to reports from NFL insiders on Monday morning, Jackson is signing a two-year, $7.5 million contract with a maximum value of $10.5 million. The deal gives Chicago some stability at linebacker while also rewarding a player who stepped up in a big way during the 2025 season.
With Tremaine Edmunds recently released as a cap casualty, linebacker remains a position of need for the Bears.
T.J. Edwards is still recovering from a fractured fibula suffered during the Bears’ Wild Card playoff win over the Packers. Whether Edwards will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season remains uncertain, so bringing back someone like Jackson made plenty of sense for Chicago.
And I don’t think the Bears will be done addressing this position. Whether it’s another free agent addition or a top prospect from the 2026 NFL Draft class, the Bears appear intent on getting younger and faster on defense. Adding athletic linebacker depth is clearly one of those priorities as they continue reshaping the unit under Allen.
NFL free agency officially begins when the legal tampering window opens at 11 a.m. Central Time on Monday.
For now, this is simply the calm before the storm.