Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson made his official return to practice on Thursday after being sidelined due to injury since Week 14 of the regular season.

The Bears are preparing for an NFC Wild Card showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, with Chicago offering a bit of help to Doug Pederson's team last week by eliminating the Minnesota Vikings from postseason contention.

Now, it looks like Jackson could be close to rejoining the Bears' lineup, which would help the NFC North champions even more heading into what could be a deep playoff run.

Jackson has 51 combined tackles and six interceptions this season, and getting him back in the mix would give Chicago another playmaker on the field against what's been a red-hot Philly team.

With Nick Foles leading the way, the Eagles put together several impressive performances down the stretch, and they'll try to bring that momentum into Soldier Field in hopes of moving a step closer towards defending their Super Bowl crown.

Of course, that won't be an easy task, as the Bears have been the most intimidating defense in the league for pretty much the entire season.

And, with Mitchell Trubisky making strides under center, the Chicago offense has done its part in helping the team win eight of its last nine games.

As always, the playoffs will offer plenty of intrigue with so many talented teams across the board.

But if the Bears keep playing like they have been, they should certainly be among the teams that can capture a Super Bowl title.