While head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival has put a spotlight on the Chicago Bears offense, the team must show true defensive improvement as well to be contenders in 2025. With a key injury return set to happen though, the Bears are confident they have the pieces in place to succeed defensively.
Safety Jaquan Brisker missed all but five games during the 2024 season due to a concussion. He is now fully healthy and caught the attention of many at minicamp. Furthermore, Brisker is poised to retain his starting spot next to Kevin Byard.
However, that doesn’t mean Brisker is completely out of the water. An impending free agent, the safety must prove he belongs with the Bears long-term. Because of that, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune argues Brisker has the most to prove out of any player on the offense.
“But after three concussions in three years, Brisker needs to prove he can stay healthy,” Hammond wrote. “Making that all the more pressing is the fact he’s in a contract year. He has skin in the game, money on the line. Millions of dollars hang in the balance.”
“It feels unfair. Injuries are largely out of a player’s control. But the NFL is a cruel ecosystem,” Hammond continued. “When healthy, Brisker is a versatile safety who can play close to the line of scrimmage and even totaled four sacks as a rookie in 2022. He always seems to be in the mix. The Bears missed his presence during the second half of last season.”
Jaquan Brisker’s run with Chicago Bears
The Bears originally selected Brisker with the No. 48 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact, starting all 15 games he appeared in as a rookie. Brisker made 104 tackles, two passes defended, an interception and a career-high six sacks.
The safety didn’t stop there, recording a career-high 105 tackles and nine passes defended with an interception in 2023. Before going down with his concussion, Brisker started the 2024 campaign by making 40 tackles, two passes defended and an interception.
The safety plays with an aggressive style, something Brisker says he doesn’t plan on stopping despite the injury concerns. Furthermore, he has proven to be a solid ball hawk, recording an interception every year with the Bears. Now, Chicago just wants to see Brisker show he can be consistent over a full season.
If he can, the safety will be likely to earn an extension and stay with the Bears long term. But if Brisker struggles, or if the injury bug strikes again, his future in Chicago would get seriously murky.
State of safety
Alongside Brisker, Byard is also set to be a free agent following the 2025 season. His situation is much different, as Byard will be entering his age-32 season. He has already admitted he’ll take a year-to-year approach with his NFL future. But if Byard performs how he did in his Bears debut, the team’s brass won’t want him to leave the Windy City anytime soon.
Starting all 17 games, Byard made a career-high 130 tackles alongside seven passes defended, two sacks and an interception. The safety’s 72.8 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 32/171. If that isn’t impressive enough, Byard was top 10 in both pass rush (83, 6/171) and run defense (86, 8/171) in his Chicago debut.
The Bears are counting on Byard to keep up that same level of play. But they also want him to be a mentor to Brisker. Not only is Brisker coming off of a long layoff, but he is entering a precarious season. As the safety gets back on track and attempts to prove his worth, Byard will be alongside him, helping every step of the way.
After the 2025 season, the Bears will have some serious decisions to make at safety. But at least entering the 2025 campaign, Chicago is confident with Brisker and Byard; barring injuries.
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