Before free agency kicked off last month, there was a hope among Chicago Bears fans that either Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard III, or CJ Gardner-Johnson would still be with the team at least for one more season.
All three played pivotal roles in the Bears winning the NFC North and making the playoffs last season. Brisker had his best season wearing the Bears’ "C" helmet despite his flaws, playing in all 17 games after missing most of the 2024 season due to injury.
However, as fate would have it, none of them would return, including Brisker, who surprisingly signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The belief was that Brisker might’ve fetched a multi-year deal from another team, pricing him out of a potential return to the Windy City. But seeing that he only got a one-year deal from a team that doesn’t know who will be its starting quarterback and has a new coaching staff, it puts Brisker in a tough spot, as he has to prove himself all over again.
Jaquan Brisker’s Decision to Leave Bears for Steelers Could Haunt Him This Season
The veteran safety, who is from Pittsburgh, is joining a Steelers’ squad that has a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, who is taking over from Mike Tomlin. That’s not easy shoes to fill, as Tomlin was a model of consistency for that franchise for 19 years.
The last time we saw McCarthy on the sidelines was with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, where they went 7-10. Brisker likely hopes that Pittsburgh can be at least a 10-win team this season, as that could bode well for his prospects.
However, not knowing if Aaron Rodgers will return for another year in an AFC North division that features Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow makes things dicier for the Steelers. If Rodgers comes back for one more year, the ceiling for Pittsburgh is 10 wins again, which might get you in the playoffs.
But if Rodgers doesn’t return, and the Steelers go with Will Howard, who McCarthy has talked up a lot this offseason, or draft a quarterback, the chances of Pittsburgh having a winning year go down.
And it also puts a lot of pressure on the defense, and Brisker, while he’s solid in the box, he is not great in pass coverage. Last season, the veteran safety allowed 11.8 yards per completion, five receiving touchdowns, and a 127.6 passer rating against.
He won’t have the luxury of playing beside Byard; instead, he’ll have Jalen Ramsey, who wasn’t the best in coverage himself in his first season with the Steelers (seven receiving TDs allowed and a 118.1 passer rating against).
There’s a lot of boom or bust potential in Pittsburgh and in their secondary, which isn’t what you want to see if you’re Brisker on a one-year deal.
His best bet might’ve been to go elsewhere, like the Philadelphia Eagles, who need a veteran safety in their secondary. A year in Vic Fangio’s scheme could’ve done wonders for his future and next contract.
Or maybe he should’ve just stayed in Chicago, which again, on a one-year deal for less than $6 million, would’ve been tolerable for Bears fans. It would’ve been Brisker’s second year in Dennis Allen’s scheme, while also getting to work more with Al Harris.
At least with the Bears or Eagles, Brisker would’ve known he had a chance to win and make the playoffs. The same cannot be said for the Steelers, who don’t know who their starting QB will be, in a division that will be tough with a healthy Jackson and Burrow.