The Chicago Bears have a lot of work to do this offseason, especially since the team has a long list of impending free agents and negative $17.4 million in cap space according to OverTheCap.com as of Sunday, January 25th.
That said, there’s one Bears player whose future may be with another squad next season: safety Jaquan Brisker.
Brisker, a 2022 second-round draft pick by the Bears, has had an up-and-down career in Chicago with a history of concussions. And, according to Chicago Tribune senior writer Brad Biggs, it’s hard to envision seeing Brisker back with the team next season.
“I just don’t feel like he made a major impact over the course of the regular season, and you can’t let recency bias cloud your judgment,” Biggs wrote. “Brisker played in all 19 games, and that’s a credit to him. He missed time in each of his first three seasons because of concussions, including 12 games in 2024. That’s a major concern. Give him a lot of respect for how he played against the Rams, but it’s a little hard for me to envision him parlaying that into a new contract with a team that clearly needs to draft at least one safety and build the position up. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s my read on his situation.”
Now, Brisker had added fuel to the speculation surrounding his time ending in Chicago.
Jaquan Brisker Hints at Departure With Latest Social Media Post
For a timeline, Biggs shared his thoughts on Brisker’s murky future with the Bears on Friday. Fast forward to Sunday, and Brisker posted two broken heart emojis with two periods on X (Twitter).
Again, it’s not certain that this is about his future in Chicago, but the timing seems to point that way. In four seasons with the Bears, Brisker racked up 52 starts, 342 total tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles, and four interceptions.
Even with everything pointing towards his departure, Brisker still mentioned he’ll be more than happy to stay with the Bears, but is not sure if Chicago wants him back.
What’s the Bears’ Plan at Safety?
GettyKevin Byard III #31 of the Chicago Bears runs onto the field prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears are heading into the offseason with only one safety on the active roster. But there’s no doubt that Chicago wants All-Pro safety Kevin Byard back, and general manager Ryan Poles made that known.
“I think Kevin is a special player. I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back. But again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster — cap restraints, things like that — it will be a challenge, but that’s part of what we do.”
If the Bears let Brisker walk, they won’t sign another safety for a decent amount of money. Instead, Chicago’s likely plan is to try to re-sign Byard and head into the 2026 NFL Draft and find Brisker’s replacement.
Some of the top safeties, according to multiple ESPN analysts, include the following:
- Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
- Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
- A.J. Haulcy, LSU
- Kamari Ramsey, USC
The Bears will look a lot different next season, and Brisker might be one of the reasons why.
Bears’ Jaquan Brisker Hints at Departure With Latest Social Media Post