Jaquan Brisker has a huge year in front of him in the final year of his contract.
As we roll along in our series of the 10 Chicago Bears with the most to prove this season, we’ve reached number nine on our list. Number 10 on our list was running back Roschon Johnson. Number nine on our list is on the defensive side of the ball, and it’s safety Jaquan Brisker.
Brisker made the list last year, as he was a year away from a potential contract extension, and it felt like Brisker needed to make strides in his pass coverage in 2024 if the Bears were going to consider giving him a multi-year contract extension.
Brisker responded early in the season by absolutely improving his pass coverage. It looked like he was headed for an improved season in that regard, paired with his ability to play at the line of scrimmage, and give Ryan Poles a decision this offseason to extend Brisker and Kyler Gordon.
Unfortunately for Brisker, a concussion derailed his entire season. Brisker missed the final 12 games of the season last year as he could never clear concussion protocol.
Not only did Brisker have a massive concussion last year, which was his third in as many professional seasons, but which makes one wonder if Brisker’s long-term viability is going to be derailed by his concussion issues.
As we enter 2025, it’s a critical year for Brisker’s future with the Chicago Bears. Let’s start with his health. Through three seasons, Brisker has now missed 16 games and has suffered three concussions. You would have to think that for the Bears to even consider keeping Brisker on the roster, he’s going to have to prove that he can stay healthy.
Brisker is going to have to play all 17 games, or at least close to that, and he absolutely needs to have a concussion-free season. You would have to think that if Brisker suffers his fourth concussion, the Bears would not consider giving him a second contract at all. You would also have to think that if that happens, Brisker would have to consider whether he can keep playing football moving forward.
If Brisker does stay healthy, he’s also going to have to show that he is continuing to improve his play on the field. Brisker is going to have to continue to show that he’s a playmaker around the line of scrimmage. He will need to show that he is the same guy who can force fumbles, make tackles in the backfield, and secure some sacks on blitzes as well.
Brisker has shown he has that ability each of his first three seasons, but we need to see that he continues to improve his pass coverage as well. In Brisker’s first two seasons, when he was targeted in pass coverage, quarterbacks had a passer rating of over 100. Last season, that number dropped to 71.5, but, as we have mentioned before, that was only in less than five games.
If Brisker plays this season and builds upon the improvements he showed at the beginning of the 2024 season, he is going to give Ryan Poles and the rest of the front office a tough decision. Do they keep Poles’ second-ever draft selection and give him a multiyear extension, or do you let a talented player walk with nothing in return because you can’t trust his health?
Even if Brisker plays at a Pro Bowl level this season, you’d have to imagine the Bears wouldn’t give Brisker a massive contract, but would they consider something like a three-year deal worth $36 million with roughly $24 million guaranteed? We’ve seen contracts like that handed out to both Grant Delpit and Jalen Thompson. That might be something that both Brisker and the Bears could find agreeable.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Brisker, not only is he going to have to show that he is invaluable to Dennis Allen’s defense, but he’s also going to have to prove that he can stay healthy as well. The safety position is a tough one. It’s not quite as bad as running back, but there are similarities. There are always veteran safeties available every offseason, and ones that will take modest contracts. Look at Kevin Byard signing with the Bears last year for 2 years and $15 million total. Yes, Byard was older than Brisker and on the wrong side of 30, but Byard was also a 2x All-Pro safety in Tennessee.
Brisker has to prove that his value is far higher than the plethora of veteran safeties that the Bears could add next year. With both Brisker and Byard being free agents after this season, the Bears will have to reconfigure their safety room to some capacity. Would they want to replace both of them? Or do they want to make sure one of them returns to give them some consistency in the secondary at that position?
The Bears are going to be entering a situation where guys like Rome Odunze, Darnell Wright, and Gervon Dexter appear to be headed towards contract extensions. If Caleb Williams becomes the guy that we all hope he can be, that will be a massive percentage of the cap as well. With all that in mind, will the Bears be willing to extend Brisker as well? He is going to have to prove to Ryan Poles and the coaching staff that he can stay on the field and that his skills are needed in the secondary. No doubt, it’s a big year for Jaquan Brisker.