Jaquan Brisker Stuns NFL: Career-Best Performance Propels Chicago Bears Into Playoff Hunt

Chicago — The Chicago Bears’ decision to secure Super-Bowl champion Coby Bryant on the opening day of free-agency has sent a clear signal about their safety room—and it may leave former second-round pick Jaquan Brisker searching for a new home. Long-time beat writer Brad Biggs told 670-The Score that Bryant’s arrival makes it “unlikely” the club will re-sign either veteran Kevin Byard or the 25-year-old Brisker, adding that the front office appears poised to look for depth options and address the position again in next month’s draft. Brisker, who posted a career-best 109 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2025 despite missing two games with a hamstring strain, now becomes one of the most intriguing defensive backs on the open market. League sources say multiple playoff contenders—the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots among them—have already done homework on the former Penn State star, impressed by his versatility as a box defender and single-high free safety. Market dynamics could work in Brisker’s favor. While the 2026 safety class is headlined by Jessie Bates III and Antoine Winfield Jr., both are expected to command $17-20 million annually, potentially pricing cap-conscious teams into a second tier where Brisker sits atop the board. Executives contacted at the combine projected a contract in the four-year, $48-million range, a figure the Bears have been reluctant to match after investing significant dollars in linebacker Roquan Smith and edge rusher Montez Sweat. For Chicago, the calculus is straightforward: rookie-deal contributors are cheaper, and new defensive coordinator Eric Washington’s scheme relies heavily on interchangeable safeties who can blitz and cover tight ends without ballooning the cap. That philosophy dovetails with a 2026 draft class that scouts believe is unusually deep at safety. Yet letting Brisker walk is not without risk. Since entering the league in 2022 he ranks top-10 among safeties in run-stop win rate and has logged 15 passes defensed in the past two seasons, traits that fueled his selection to the 2025 Pro Bowl. Removing that production would leave Bryant, special-teams ace Elijah Hicks (if re-signed) and a yet-to-be-named rookie as the last line of defense behind a front seven still acclimating to new faces. Brisker, for his part, has maintained radio silence on social media since news of Bryant’s agreement broke, but those close to the safety say he is “motivated to prove his value” after the Bears opted not to extend him last summer. A fresh start could maximize his range and blitz instincts—qualities the Eagles lost when Reed Blankenship tore his Achilles in December and that the Chiefs covet as they transition away from veteran Justin Reid. What happens next will unfold quickly: teams can finalize contracts at 4 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, and Brisker’s camp is expected to entertain visits as early as Thursday. If Chicago’s front office truly believes its future at safety lies in the draft, fans at Soldier Field may have seen the last of No. 9 patrolling the deep middle. Either way, Jaquan Brisker’s name is one to watch as the NFL free-agency frenzy hits full speed.