The Bears put safety Eddie Jackson on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Jackson did not test positive, a source said. Rather, he was in close contact with someone outside of Halas Hall who did. That means Jackson could return on Saturday, in time to face the rival Packers in prime time at Lambeau Field.
Players deemed close contacts must sit out for five days, dating to the last time they interacted with someone infected.
Jackson was not spotted at Bears practice Monday.
Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl player, has been one of the Bears’ most solid defenders this season. He has forced three fumbles and returned one eight yards for a touchdown.
Deon Bush is the Bears’ primary backup at safety.
His move ends an all-too-brief period in which the Bears did not have a player on the reserve list. Friday, they took guard Lachavious Simmons off the reserve list. He’d been on it since testing positive for the coronavirus Nov. 7, while the team was at their hotel in Nashville, Tenn.
