The Chicago Bears have to be ecstatic after agreeing to a two-year contract extension with Joe Thuney on Tuesday morning. The deal, which will reportedly pay Thuney $17.5 million annually and include $51 million over the next three seasons, is another step in the process of rebuilding the offensive line and protecting quarterback Caleb Williams.
It’s a great move for the team, but it could be seen as bad business for others in the locker room. While Thuney and incoming center Drew Dalman are celebrating their new deals, others are waiting to be rewarded for their performance including a three-year starter that may be jealous his teammate got the bag before he did.
Jaquan Brisker is Still Waiting for a Contract Extension from the Bears
The Bears rebuild has had plenty of new faces since Ryan Poles took over. But one of the original pieces was Jaquan Brisker, who was taking in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Brisker has started at safety in all three seasons since coming to Chicago including a strong rookie campaign where he made 104 total tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, and interception, two pass defenses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Brisker backed it up with a strong sophomore campaign with 105 total tackles, three tackles for loss, nine pass defenses and an interception and was looking to cement his pay day with a big 2023 season.
Unfortunately, injuries got in the way. Brisker played in just five games last season after suffering his third concussion in the past three years. While Brisker made 40 total tackles with three tackles for loss, a sack and an interception in those games, the aftermath of the concussion is concerning after telling Kyle Odegard of the website Casinobeats.com he had to “retrain” his nervous system and refine his tackling technique earlier this spring.
“That is why I took so long,” Brisker said. “It wasn’t my brian, it wasn’t my head. It was really my nervous system, and once I retrained that, I felt great.”
Brisker went on to say that “there’s not a number of concussions” that force a player out of the league. But those instances may dissuade a team from giving a player a lucrative long-term extension.
Brisker is currently projected to remain the starter at strong safety and backed up by Jonathan Owens. The Bears didn’t select a safety or sign a free agent that would signify that the 26-year-old’s in trouble, but he still needs to prove his health on the field before receiving a long-term committment.
In other words, a new contract may be on Brisker’s mind as Thuney gets his pay day. But it’s his brain that the Bears are thinking about when it comes to a second contract.