Things have changed in one week for the Chicago Bears. In Week 14, the Bears lost 28-21 to the Green Bay Packers, snapping their five game win streak. At the same time, it dropped the Bears down to the seventh seed in the NFC.
The next month of the season will be critical, but safety Jaquan Brisker is someone who is nuking his chances of returning to the Windy City next season.
Despite the Bears' defense showing up this season, Brisker hasn't been consistent, and his outing against the Packers was the latest example of that.
Jaquan Brisker’s Disappointing Season Continues vs. Packers in Week 14
Although Brisker has been able to secure tackles and be around the football in the run game, he has left a ton to be desired in coverage. Those problems persisted into Sunday's game against the Packers. At the end of the second quarter, Bo Melton ran a post route, coming across Brisker's face, resulting in a 45-yard touchdown.
And that wasn't the only play where Brisker looked lost back there in coverage. His play certainly caught the attention of the fanbase, who made their voice loud on social media, as a chunk of fans don't want Brisker extended and brought back.
Heading into the Packers game, Brisker had a 58.3 overall grade (62nd among 93 graded safeties) and a 46 coverage grade (79th among 93 graded safeties) on Pro Football Focus. In addition, he had a 123.8 passer rating allowed in coverage.
Based on how he looked in the loss to the Packers, those numbers likely got worse. Before this season, Brisker was a middle-of-the-pack pass defender, but he didn't take the step everyone wanted this year.
According to Spotrac, Brisker's projected market value is listed at $11.9 million per season on a three-year, $35.5 million contract. That's not a cheap deal, especially for a defender is the secondary who has struggled in coverage.
Granted, being a coverage guy isn't Brisker's calling card, as he's more of a physical thumper who plays better when attacking downhill. Nonetheless, what he's put on tape is concerning, and that makes it extremely hard for Chicago to keep him around on a long-term deal. To get a second deal, he needs to be serviceable as a pass defender, but he has yet to do that in 2025.
It doesn't help Brisker in the eyes of fans that he's consistently tweeting but playing subpar on the field. That's not resonating well with Bears fans, and if he wants to have a future in Chicago, he needs to make a drastic turnaround during this playoff push.