The Chicago Bears have seen a lot of movement this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Among the defections to this point are Kevin Byard going to the New England Patriots and Nahshon Wright landing with the New York Jets.
Even though they needed help in the secondary, the odds that Jaquan Brisker would return still seemed low. And that came to fruition, as Brisker signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the comments on his X account show that Brisker is fictitious. He wrote, "They just hit the jackpot! Big steal."
However, based on how up and down his Bears tenure was, this statement is rather bold.
Jaquan Brisker’s First Comments Since Leaving Bears Are Interesting
The deal that Brisker got from the Steelers was lower than anticipated. Spotrac predicted that Brisker would get a three-year, $33.2 million deal ($11.1 million per season) on the open market, but that didn't materialize.
This past season, Brisker played in 17 games, logging 93 total tackles, eight pass breakups, and one interception. But his advanced stats last year weren't that impressive. According to Pro Football Focus' grading system, he finished with a 60.4 overall grade (68th among 98 graded safeties) and a 50.9 coverage grade (76th among 98 graded safeties). He also gave up 36 catches (50 targets) for 374 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
The former Penn State standout was never a plus defender in coverage, and that isn't ideal for a defender on the backend. Meanwhile, during the 2024 season, Brisker was limited to five games after suffering three concussions.
The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, and Brisker's play over the last two years has been inconsistent. That's why his price dropped to this level, and he got a one-year deal with the Steelers.
It's also worth noting that fellow free agent safeties Bryan Cook, Jalen Thompson, Alohi Gilman, Reed Blankenship, and Nick Cross all signed before Brisker. That shows how the other teams in the league also viewed Brisker and decided to sign another player.
Of course, Brisker is going to speak highly of himself, and that's the right mindset for him to have. But there's reason for some skepticism. Brisker hasn't been a plus defender in coverage, which has contributed to his lower market value. The fact that Chicago didn't bring him back at his low number shows how they viewed him inside the building. They felt like they could be better at that position.
The Bears will certainly use the NFL draft as a pathway to improve the secondary. They didn't want Brisker there for the long term and don't view him in the same light as being a "jackpot" piece.