D’Marco Jackson going from being an unheralded waiver claim in August to the Bears’ highest-graded player in a December win against the Browns is the type of story arc that can only happen in a magical season like the one Chicago’s football team is having right now.
Jackson, who was claimed by the Bears off the waiver wire on Aug. 27, earned a 93.1 grade from the initial release of Pro Football Focus’ Week 15 grades. Not only was that the best among Bears defensive players, it was the highest score among all of the guys who suited up for Chicago on Sunday. Heck, Jackson had a better Week 15 grade than Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett. More on that later.
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D’Marco Jackson scored higher than wide receiver DJ Moore (who scored a pair of touchdowns), running back D’Andre Swift (who racked up 90+ rushing yards and two scores), and right guard Jonah Jackson (who anchored another impressive performance by the Bears offensive line). The Bears had some strong contributors on the defensive side of the ball, too. For instance, defensive back C.J. Gardner Johnson snagged an 85.3 grade in Week 15 — which represents his best grade since joining the Bears.
And yet, I can’t stop thinking about how D’Marco Jackson stole the show with his 7 total tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 quarterback hit, 1 tackle-for-loss, and this interception:
Picked by @DMarcojackson20 ‼️?: FOX pic.twitter.com/0D4K3ZBHAY
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 14, 2025Sure, Myles Garrett collected 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle-for-loss, and 3 quarterback hits in the game. He also came close to setting the NFL single-season sack record. But that was good enough for only a 73.1 grade for Garrett. That number is his lowest grade output in his last five games. Whatever the Bears did against Garrett worked. Meanwhile, the Browns had no answer for D’Marco Jackson. You really can’t predict football!
D’Marco Jackson has come out of nowhere to snatch a starting spot
Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson (48) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesEvery good NFL team has its share of unexpected contributors. And now that we have established that the Chicago Bears are, in fact, a good football team, we are starting to see more players pop up and deliver when it matters most. This week’s out-of-the-blue difference-maker was linebacker D’Marco Jackson, who has quietly snatched a starting job from Noah Sewell with four consecutive starts in this defense. The Bears are 3-1 in those games.
What makes D’Marco Jackson’s journey to this point special is that it wasn’t anything anyone saw coming.
Jackson was a New Orleans Saints fifth-round pick (161st overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. Before arriving in Chicago, Jackson had played in 27 games, made no starts, and played more snaps on special teams (579) than on defense (73). When the Bears scooped him up as a waiver claim in late August, I saw the transaction as a depth addition who had familiarity with Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen and his scheme from their time together with the Saints. I had no idea that we would be sitting here four months later writing about Jackson as the team’s highest-graded player after a must-win game in December. Again … who saw this coming?
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Now that I’m thinking about it, perhaps Dennis Allen saw it coming. Allen was the Saints’ head coach when New Orleans drafted the Appalachian State product. And I imagine the Bears’ defensive coordinator had a hand in nudging the powers that be at Halas Hall to bring Jackson onto the rost as a waiver claim. To that end, should Chicago’s football team clinch a playoff spot (as early as this week?) sometime soon, Allen should get his flowers as someone whose connections to C.J. Gardner-Johnson and D’Marco Jackson helped aid this defense in ways no one could have imagined. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson (48) makes a tackle on Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesJOIN US AT OUR BEARS-PACKERS WATCH PARTY!? Lottie's: 1925 W. Cortland St. in Chicago!? Saturday, Dec. 20? Party start time: 6 p.m.? Game start time: 7:20 p.m.MORE INFO ? t.co/WUUinzeyiP pic.twitter.com/fhyBaVZ8KV
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) December 15, 2025Hence then, the article about d marco jackson earned the best bears player grade in week 15 was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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