‘He’s going to prove them wrong’ — Former Bears starter Jaquan Brisker touted as breakout player with his new team
Former Chicago Bears second-round safety Jaquan Brisker was thrown to the side by his former team this offseason and will have plenty to prove after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen set out to rebuild his unit this offseason and made some tough decisions in the process moving on from various starters and former draft picks.
Included in that list was former second-round pick Jaquan Brisker, who became a fan-favorite in Chicago each time he was out on the field. The breakup hit even harder after Brisker put together his strongest and healthiest year of his career during the 2025-26 season and it still wasn’t enough to stay with the team that drafted him.
Ultimately, Brisker signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency with an opportunity to play for his hometown team and compete for a starting job in a talented secondary. And one NFL analyst views big things on the horizon for Brisker in Pittsburgh.
Former Chicago Bears draft pick Jaquan Brisker named breakout player for Pittsburgh Steelers
Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson went through all 32 teams on the Check The Mic show and listed their top breakout candidates for each team in the latest episode posted on Monday. For Chicago, it was a unanimous decision to list second-year wide receiver Luther Burden III as the breakout candidate for the Bears. An easy call to make.
What was more interesting is what Palazzolo had to say about Brisker after listing him as his breakout candidate to watch in Pittsburgh.
“He’s going to prove it’s Brisker against the world here,” Palazzolo explained. “He’s going to prove them wrong. Like, why didn’t the Bears bring him back on cheap? There’s some doubt around Jaquan Brisker’s game… There’s another level to his game. He’s going to be an enforcer for the Steelers. He can tackle, he can hit, play the run. Always a Jaquan Brisker fan. Let’s let the NFL know.”
Bears fans already knew all of that about Brisker’s game, and the Bears did too. There was never a question about Brisker’s ability to be an enforcer or his ability to tackle. The concern was about his durability after suffering three concussions. And the big thing for Dennis Allen was the concerns about his coverage speed in his system.
The league showed similar concerns considering Brisker signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal on the open market. He’s got to prove he’s worth more than that and he plans to do just that in Pittsburgh. While maybe even proving Chicago wrong in the process.
“I could do a lot more,” Brisker said during his introductory press conference in Pittsburgh. “That was just an opportunity that just came to me, just me being around the ball, coach calling great calls. I feel like I can do a lot more than you guys have seen, I can’t wait to showcase that. That’s what I’m waiting on, for me to be used a lot more.”
In the meantime, Chicago retooled its safety position by signing free agent Coby Bryant and drafting Dillon Thieneman in the first-round. Two players who project to be better options for what Chicago looks to do defensively in 2026.