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The Chicago Bears have caused stir after stir on offense this offseason, but it’s the defense that has always stirred the proverbial drink in the Windy City.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, May 8, put together a list of now “underrated” players who will bounce back to create a major impact for their respective teams. Among those he listed was safety Jaquan Brisker, who suffered through a down year in 2023 after a strong rookie campaign the year before.
There were high hopes for Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker entering the 2023 season. The 25-year-old was coming off a rookie year in which he amassed 104 total tackles and four sacks. The Bears thought they had a disruptive force on the back end for years to come.
However, like most things in Chicago a year ago, Brisker’s second season got off to something of a rocky start — the big plays dried up and he struggled in coverage.
The Bears … upgraded the deep safety spot in the offseason, swapping out veteran Eddie Jackson for Kevin Byard, whose arrival should mean more box snaps for Brisker in 2024 — his more natural role. … Don’t be surprised if Brisker is in the conversation among the NFL’s best young safeties by the time the 2024 season wraps up.
Jaquan Brisker, Bears’ Defense Improved After Trade for Montez Sweat
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GettySafety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.
Another factor that should play in Brisker’s favor is that he trended similarly to the Bears’ defense as a whole last season — getting better as the campaign went along.
“Brisker returned to the lineup fully healthy in Week 10 and began making more impactful plays, including notching his first tackle for loss of the season, behind a disruptive defensive line,” Brendan Sugrue of USA Today’s Bears Wire wrote in late January. “His first and only interception of the year came a couple weeks later, and Brisker turned in a performance for the ages when he tallied 17 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup in their win against Detroit.”
Sugrue noted the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat ahead of the trade deadline as a turning point for the defense as a whole, as well as for individual players such as Brisker. Sweat made the first Pro Bowl of his career in 2023, leading Chicago in sacks with 6 sacks in just nine games played.
The edge rusher also led the Washington Commanders for the year with 6.5 sacks across eight contests for his former team. Sweat finished the year with 12.5 total sacks and became the first player in NFL history to lead two organizations in sacks during the same season.
Bears’ New Additions Will Relieve Some Pressure on Defense
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GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze and quarterback Caleb Williams.
Chicago’s defense was the driving force behind the team’s 5-3 finish to the season, which included competitive road defeats against playoff teams in the Lions and Cleveland Browns. The hope is that next season, the offense will pitch in its fair share as well.
The Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in the draft before taking wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick. They also traded for Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and signed Pro Bowler D’Andre Swift, overhauling the offense.
Chicago will have its hands full in a competitive NFC North Division that sent two teams to the playoffs last season. However, a more complete team should allow for improved performance on both sides of the football, which could mean the Bears compete for the postseason for the first time since 2020. The Bears have made the playoffs just twice in the past 13 years.
