The Chicago Bears knew they were getting someone potentially special when they drafted Jaquan Brisker in the 2nd round two years ago. Since then, the young safety has established himself as one of the more versatile players at his position in the NFL. In 35 games, he has 249 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions. He was off to another great start this season before a scary collision with Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble knocked him out with a concussion.
That was October 6th. It is now November 2nd, and Brisker was again declared out for Sunday’s game against Arizona. That is now almost a full month of missed action with a head injury. Typically, players return from concussions after two weeks. The fact it is taking this long for Brisker raises serious concerns about his health moving forward. Don’t forget this isn’t his first concussion in the NFL. It’s his third. Players who suffer from it once become more susceptible to it moving forward.
This puts the Bears in a huge dilemma.
Remember, the Bears have some significant contract situations to untangle before the 2026 off-season. Brisker, Kyler Gordon, Braxton Jones, T.J. Edwards, DeMarcus Walker, and Andrew Billings will all be free agents. The first three are almost sure to demand the most attention for extensions within the following year. No doubt GM Ryan Poles would love to get it done sooner rather than later. The key is determining who should be the priority. For a time, most believed Brisker was that guy. This development with the head injuries changes things.
As cold as it may sound, teams can’t afford to give big money to players with chronic health issues. Jaquan Brisker plays a style of football that puts him at far greater risk of future concussions. The Bears love him but must do what is best for the team. Giving him a significant pay raise would be bad business. It looks more and more probable that they will let him play out his rookie deal and test free agency after next season. Gordon and Jones aim to get primary attention for extensions while Poles hunts for safeties in the upcoming draft.
