The Bears were alarmed to see star safety Eddie Jackson fall to the turf with a non-contact foot injury Sunday. And given how quickly they ruled him out for the rest of the game, there was fear it would be season-ending.
That concern lingered Monday at Halas Hall. Coach Matt Eberflus said the severity of the injury still hadn’t been determined, but he was prepared to ‘‘get some young guys ready to play’’ if Jackson heads to injured reserve.
Jackson isn’t replaceable, however — not when he is playing at the level he has been.
He was having a resurgent season before exiting in the second quarter of the Bears’ 31-10 loss to the Jets. He led the team with four interceptions and two forced fumbles and had been one of the few reliable pieces of the defense. He was the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter at free safety in the update the NFL released Monday.
Jackson, who was thought to be a candidate to be traded or released last offseason, was playing like someone the Bears wanted as a pillar of their future.
The Bears hope to get rookie Jaquan Brisker back from a concussion in time to play against the Packers, and veteran DeAndre Houston-Carson is the safety they most would trust to play in Jackson’s place.
The Bears also have rookie Elijah Hicks, a seventh-round pick from Cal who hadn’t appeared on defense before getting 39 snaps against the Jets. They have undrafted rookie A.J. Thomas on their practice squad, too.
Dane Cruikshank, who has played mostly on special teams, left the game against the Jets after reinjuring his hamstring.
Turf trouble
Jackson’s injury was one of several for the Bears at MetLife Stadium, which is notorious for players criticizing the stability of its turf. Houston-Carson said he was concerned the moment he stepped onto the field.
‘‘Before the game, making breaks, my joints were feeling achy,’’ he said. ‘‘They’ve got to do something to figure it out.’’
The players’ union has been pushing for every stadium to install grass — the Cardinals figured out a way to do it in their dome — and Eberflus supported it.
‘‘It’s a players’ game, right?’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve got to keep good players in the game.’’
Injuries to watch
The Bears lost receiver Darnell Mooney to a season-ending ankle injury and might be thin at the position behind him. Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown also got hurt against the Jets, though Eberflus labeled them day-to-day injuries.
And there’s no telling what will happen to an offensive line that already was being cobbled together each week. Starting right tackle Riley Reiff hurt his shoulder. That allowed Larry Borom to reclaim his spot — until he left with an ankle injury.
The Bears used guard Michael Schofield at right tackle after that, but Eberflus said Monday ‘‘all combinations’’ are up for consideration if Reiff and Borom are out against the Packers. He mentioned Schofield and Alex Leatherwood and, when asked, didn’t shoot down the option of moving right guard Teven Jenkins to that spot.
