The end of the 2025 season for the Chicago Bears was about as heartbreaking as it could have been against the Los Angeles Rams, but it did swing open the doors for one impending free agent to collect a big payday.
While there were concerns about Bears safety Jaquan Brisker throughout the 2025 season, he saved his best performance for the last game in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. Brisker racked up a season-high 14 tackles, two pass deflections, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack.
There was inconsistent play from Brisker in coverage throughout the year, but he came up big in the most important game of the season. That performance might have helped him in landing a big deal, but it might not be in Chicago.
Jaquan Brisker could be looking at a new home in 2026
Brisker had a decent season after missing 12 games in 2024 with a concussion. He finished the 2025 campaign with 93 tackles, eight pass deflections, three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one interception in 17 games.
All indications so far are that Brisker believes he is unsure about returning to the team in 2026. Bears general manager Ryan Poles did not give any indication himself on whether the Bears are looking to bring back Brisker.
According to Spotrac, Brisker's estimated market value could be looking at $11.1 million per year. That is going to be a tough ask for the Bears to say whether they would be willing to pay that kind of money to him.
Poles seems to be more focused on bringing back All-Pro safety Kevin Byard over any other Bears player entering free agency. If that is the case, that does not bode well for Brisker, as Chicago could easily look for his replacement in the NFL Draft.
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Brisker has been good over the year, but the Bears are not going to be able to bring back many players as they save money to rebuild a defense that desperately needs it. Not many people see Brisker as a guy with a long future in Chicago, with the Bears almost ready to move on and build on younger talent that can grow within the franchise over the next five years.