Jackson was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Appalachian State. After spending his rookie season on injured reserve, he appeared in 17 games in 2023 and 10 contests in 2024 with New Orleans, all as a reserve who contributed primarily on special teams.
Waived by the Saints Aug. 26 as part of final cuts, he was claimed by the Bears the next day and has emerged as a valuable replacement for injured linebackers Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Jackson has played in all 13 games and made his first four NFL starts, recording 41 tackles, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and two tackles-for-loss.
Jackson is the fourth Bears player to win a player of the week award this season, joining Williams (Week 3) and tight end Colston Loveland (Week 9) on offense and Josh Blackwell (Week 4) on special teams. In addition, Jackson is the first Bears player to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Week since cornerback Tyrique Stevenson after Week 1 of last season.