The Chicago Bears must decide in the next several weeks whether they want to re-sign starting strong safety Jaquan Brisker to a contract extension before he reaches NFL free agency. Could they let him walk in favor of a pricier veteran?
The Bears have decisions to make about both of their starting safeties with Brisker and Pro Bowl free safety Kevin Byard III set to become free agents at the start of the 2026 league year at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. Three of their depth safeties are also impending free agents, putting the team in a bind where it might need to rebuild its safety room.
So far, Bears general manager Ryan Poles has indicated that Byard — who had a league-high seven picks in 2025 — is a priority, but things have been quieter for Brisker.
Given the increasing likelihood that the Bears will let at least one of their starters walk, Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante predicted they will target Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Curl in free agency and sign him to a three-year, $32 million deal in March.
“Instead of extending Brisker, I chose to sign Kamren Curl over from the Rams for slightly more money,” Infante wrote. “It would be an upgrade at the strong safety position, and Curl has missed just two games in the last three seasons to Brisker’s 14.
“Curl had more interceptions, a lower passer rating allowed, gave up fewer touchdowns, and had a similar missed tackle percentage in the single digits. That improved ability in coverage, similar versatility and tackling value, and more durability make him a worthy addition to the Bears’ secondary.”
Kamren Curl Made Clutch Play Against Bears in Playoffs
Curl is one of the top safeties due to hit free agency in March and has largely outplayed the value of the two-year, $9 million contract he signed with the Rams back in 2024.
In 2025, Curl made an impact as a versatile safety whom the Rams could trust as much in the deep field as they could when playing closer to the line of scrimmage. He tallied a career-high 122 total tackles, two tackles, two interceptions and five pass defelections.
According to Pro Football Focus, Curl also recorded 32 defensive stops (fifth best in the league among safeties) and a 84.7 run defense grade (sixth best among safeties).
Curl was also responsible for the clutch play that ended the Bears’ season in the second round of the 2025 NFL playoffs. He picked off the pass that quarterback Caleb Williams had thrown to veteran wide receiver DJ Moore, who had a miscommunication with his quarterback and ended up in the wrong spot on an anticipation throw in overtime.
For Curl, the interception was only the sixth of his NFL career, but the timing couldn’t have been better for him and the Rams, who saw him pick off three total on the season.
How Likely is Jaquan Brisker to Leave in Free Agency?
Brisker is not a guarantee to leave Chicago in 2026, but the chances that the Bears let him walk in free agency seems considerably higher than they are with Byard.
Brisker — the No. 48 overall pick in the 2022 draft — finally put his concussion troubles behind him in 2025 after they cost him 12 games last season, but he did not have the impact that many expected he would. While he played in all 17 games for the first time in his career, he forced just one takeaway and struggled as a reliable coverage defender.
Brisker’s aggressive style of play also did not seem to flourish in his first season playing within Dennis Allen’s new defensive system, exposing even more of his inconsistencies.
Now, the Bears might feel that Brisker is worth retaining on a shorter contract — maybe even a one-year deal — with a modest amount of money. Spotrac projects that Brisker could fetch as much as $11.1 million per season on the open market in 2026, though, which Chicago may feel is too rich, given his history of injuries and up-and-down play.
Bears Predicted to Sign Jaquan Brisker Replacement to $32 Million Contract