Back in the preseason, when the Bears were still getting to know new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, safety Eddie Jackson had a confusing interaction with him after practice.
Pagano walked up to him and told him good job for an interception, then shook his hand. Jackson felt something crinkle in his palm and looked down in disbelief. Did his coach just give him a $100 handshake? He was nervous — “Is this legal?” — but also a little delighted.
Jackson wasn’t stunned for long. When he opened the paper, it was, in fact, a $100 bill. But the face in the center of it wasn’t Benjamin Franklin.