Jake Martin

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Salary-cap math on Jake Martin's contract works out to a C Contract Value Index given the dead-cap exposure and term. A $4.5M AAV deal for a third-year linebacker producing 2 tackles across 2 games in 2025 is defensible only if you believe in meaningful development ahead—and the evidence to support that bet is thin. Martin's 2025 season stats tell the story: minimal playing time, minimal impact, which directly explains why his performance grade sits at C and his sentiment hovers at D. The linebacker market demands proven production or elite athleticism to justify even mid-tier contracts, and a sixth-round pick in his third year occupies a genuinely crowded tier of developmental edge cases who may or may not stick. Chicago's recent linebacker signings—Jon Rhattigan added in May—suggest the organization is actively shopping for competition at the position rather than leaning on Martin as a core piece, which tracks with his absence from any meaningful beat coverage or analyst momentum. His two-year runway gives him a legitimate window to force the issue in training camp and the preseason, but barring a genuinely disruptive performance, he remains a roster-flexibility play rather than a building block, making this C grade a fair reflection of both the contract's modest risk and Martin's currently unproven upside.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Jake's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Tape review and box-score baselines converge on a C performance grade for Jake Martin. The third-year linebacker's production remains below the threshold needed to command consistent defensive snaps—his 2025 season yielded just 2 tackles across 2 games, a volume that reflects either limited opportunity or failure to impact plays when called upon, neither of which builds a case for expanded role. On a Chicago roster entering preseason with 91 days until the regular season, Martin occupies the precarious middle ground of a depth linebacker who hasn't yet validated his roster spot through either durability or tackle production. The Bears' recent linebacker additions—including Jon Rhattigan signed in May—suggest the organization views the position room as competitive rather than settled, a signal that Martin enters training camp fighting for snaps rather than defending an entrenched role. His career trajectory as a sixth-round pick (2018) hasn't accelerated into a meaningful contribution arc, and without a strong preseason or immediate early-season impact, he risks sliding further down a crowded depth chart. At 25 with three seasons in the league, Martin remains a developmental candidate whose path to relevance hinges entirely on performance these next 91 days—the absence of media momentum and underwhelming 2025 statistics leave no margin for error.

How Jake Compares at the Position

Jake Martin ranks 154th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Jake between Neville Hewitt (C) just ahead and Al-quadin Muhammad (C) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Jake Martin's public perception sits at a D grade heading into the 2026 season, and the silence surrounding him is arguably louder than any negative press could be. The narrative — or lack thereof — is defined almost entirely by his absence from meaningful coverage: no beat writer momentum, no national analyst attention, no standout moments to anchor a positive storyline, which is the default condition for a sixth-round developmental linebacker who hasn't yet forced the conversation. That media vacuum aligns directly with his on-field production, which carries a D- performance grade; his 2025 season produced just 2 tackles across 2 games, making it nearly impossible to generate the kind of buzz that transforms a depth piece into a recognized contributor. Chicago's recent offseason activity has done nothing to improve his standing — the Bears signed linebacker Jack Sanborn in March, a move that signals the organization is actively adding competition at the position rather than cementing Martin as a reliable piece of the defensive rotation. With the regular season still 125 days out, Martin technically has time to rehabilitate his perception through a strong training camp and preseason, but the trajectory over the last 30 days is trending downward, not upward. The bottom line is this: Martin currently occupies roster purgatory, generating zero organic media support while facing a more crowded linebacker room than he walked into, and nothing short of a genuinely disruptive preseason performance changes that calculus before September.