Jaquan Brisker was one of four Bears on the field for all 73 defensive snaps on Sunday at Soldier Field. It should have been no surprise that unit made enough plays for Caleb Williams to lead Chicago to a comeback victory.
More than any player on the 53-man roster, Brisker is a walking, talking, quarterback-harassing human bellwether.
The 24-20 victory over the Giants gives the Bears a 19025 record when the 2022 second-round pick has been available. The ..432 winning percentage doesn’t sound impressive but consider his team has gone 2-14 rate when he has been sidelined. That .125 winning percentage speaks highly of his value.
Brisker’s career has been jeopardized by a series of concussions, which cost him 16 games, including 12 last season. But this time around he’s started all nine games for a 6-3 team this season.
While newcomer C.J. Gardner-Johnson twice sacked the Giants’ Jaxson Dart, Brisker remains a steadying force in a secondary that has been riddled by injury. Pro Football Focus gave him a 74.8 grade for the game, behind only Andrew Billings on the Chicago defense.
Along with nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, Brisker was one of Ryan Poles’ first draft choices after he replaced Ryan Pace as general manager. Gordon has been bothered by soft-tissue strains since August and was placed on Injured Reserve with a hamstring issue shortly before Gardner-Johnson was signed on Oct. 29.
Gordon signed a three-year, $40 million extension after last season but Brisker’s future has been an open question due to the concussions that sidelined him in each of his first three seasons.
Brisker, 26, is in the last year of his four-year, $7.4 million rookie contract. He currently is 71st among 91 qualifying safeties in season-long grading by PFF.
In his previous three seasons, Brisker ranked 42nd in his rookie season, then 48th as a second-year player. He’s never played fewer than 95 percent of defensive snaps when he’s been on the active roster. That’s impressive.
While the Bears have given Johnson and Gordon extensions that run through 2027 and ’28 respectively — as well as a two-year deal for special-teams standout Josh Blackwell that includes next season — safety is an open book beyond 2025.
Kevin Byard, a 10-year veteran who has started every game since signing a two-year, $15 million contract to play for short-lived head coach Matt Eberflus before 2024. The Bears may have to choose between the 32-year-old Byard and Brisker for ’26 and beyond.
Many people had expected Poles to prioritize safety in the most recent draft. But he had other ideas, selecting tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and wide receiver Luther Burden III, guard-tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive end Shemar Turner wih three second-round picks.
Meanwhile three safeties went off the board: Malaki Starks (Ravens), Nick Emmanwori (Seahawks) and Andrew Mukuba (Eagles. It was a sign Brisker and the Bears’ medical personnel felt he could avoid a recurrence of his concussion issue.
Outside of Brisker and Byard, Allen has rarely needed to play his reserve safeties. Both Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks play much more on special teams than defense.
Brisker showed his value as a difference-maker even when the Bears were going a combined 15-36 under Eberflus and interim coach Thomas Brown in his first three seasons. Opposing quarterbacks generated a 50.4 QBR when Brisker was on the field compared to a 67.4 QBR when he was out.
That’s the difference between being the league’s No. 7 pass defense and being the 32nd, or absolute worst, pass defense.
With Johnson sidelined in the season-opening loss to Minnesota, the Bears have been vulnerable to the pass this season. They’re allowing 240.3 passing yards per game. But the secondary has played a big role in the Bears leading the NFL with 20 takeaways, including 13 interceptions.
The Bears need that trend to continue the rest of the season to remain playoff contenders in the NFC North. Then it will be time to decide what to do about their future at safety.
You’d figure they aren’t likely to let a winner like Brisker leave in his prime.