Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen made it clear this week that individual narratives, including contract-year motivations, are not at the forefront of his mindset, even when it comes to a key defender like Jaquan Brisker.
Dennis Allen Gives Telling Thoughts on Jaquan Brisker
GettyDefensive coordinator Dennis Allen of the Chicago Bears looks on against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
When asked about Brisker’s play this season as he approaches free agency, Allen emphasized a team-first mentality.
“I think he’s a physical presence for us, and those are things that we try not to focus too much on in terms of contract years and things like that,” Allen said. “We have to keep the main thing the main thing, focus on what we have to do to try to win this game against Detroit, and then there’ll be plenty of time for all that other stuff after the season is over.”
Allen said this before the Bears’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
Brisker Doesn’t Hold Back After Lions Loss
Now, Allen didn’t explicitly state whether he’d like to see Brisker come back next season, but Brisker didn’t hold back on his thoughts on Allen’s game plan vs. the Lions.
“We were playing a whole bunch of man today,” Brisker stated. “No help in the middle. Lotta picks and rubs. Really, they schemed us up, and we had to do a better job covering. They just got us in the right call. They just out schemed us, just being honest.”
While Brisker did acknowledge that the Bears had to do a better job of covering, his comments strongly pointed toward schematic problems. Whether intentional or not, his remarks come across as criticism of Allen’s game plan, creating the perception of tension between him and DA.
Brisker has always been one of the more vocal leaders for the Bears, both on and off the field. However, it feels like this could be his last season in a Bears uniform.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune listed Brisker as a player the Bears likely won’t bring back, writing, “Given Brisker’s history of concussions, my guess is the Bears will look to rebuild at safety and consider re-signing Kevin Byard III…”
Sure, the Bears would like to keep Brisker on the team, but committing over $10 million for a player who’s constantly dealing with concussions might not be ideal. Plus, with his recent comments and the Bears having other priorities in free agency, this could very well be Brisker’s last season in Chicago.
Bears Defensive Tension Surfaces as Jaquan Brisker Criticizes Scheme