Bears safety Eddie Jackson will start Sunday against the Saints after missing most of the last six games with a foot injury.
“It’s good. It’s been good,” Jackson said, “Happy to be back.”
It’s been a frustrating first half of the season for Jackson, who missed the final five games of last season with a Lisfranc injury. He injured the same foot in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. After missing three games he started against the Vikings in Week 6, but played only 14 snaps because of pain in his foot. He did not play the past two games, though he was active last week against the Chargers.
Jackson said he does not expect to be on a snap count Sunday. And he won’t be hesitant playing on the artificial surface at the Superdome.
“I don’t even think about it,” Jackson said. “I’ve played there a few times. Happy to be out there.”
Jackson returns at a time when the Bears need some veteran stability. It was another hectic week at Halas Hall, starting with running backs coach David Walker abruptly fired for a personal conduct infraction.
“It’s like a shock. Everybody’s like, ‘What’s going on?’” Jackson said. “It’s not too much detail that we know. We just know what we hear, what we see.
“Coach [Matt Eberflus] addressed the team about it and then it’s like, you gotta move on.”
Jackson doesn’t think it will have an effect on the team.
“Everybody here knows the business of it. [It’s] just how it goes,” he said. “You can’t dwell on what’s in the past, because the season’s still moving forward. We’re at 2-6 right now. Our focus is trying to get this thing turned around and win some games.”
