Bear Digest

One common NFL issue the Chicago Bears appear to have covered

Analysis: The end of contracts for productive players on rookie contracts can lead to tough means to retain them but the Bears appear beyond any of this for various reasons.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jaquan Brisker celebrates after a stop against the Carolina Panthers last season, the game when he suffered a season-ending concussion.
Jaquan Brisker celebrates after a stop against the Carolina Panthers last season, the game when he suffered a season-ending concussion. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Most likely player to receive a tag is not a tag most NFL players would like to have, but in Jaquan Brisker's case it's really not so bad.

Pro Football Network did a league-wide feature looking at each team's most likely player to receive a free agency tag of some type after this season. Brisker was named the most likely for the Bears even though it seems like one of the most far-fetched scenarios possible.

Players don't want to be tagged because it restricts their freedom but on the other hand Brisker would be receiving a projected guaranteed amount of $19 to $21 million for 2026. For a player whose future was uncertain due to three concussions in three seasons, a payout like that would be most welcome regardless of who is paying or the circumstances.

This is where the absurd part of this scenario exists.

The Bears are unlikely to pay a healthy safety $19 million to $21 million a year after they paid Eddie Jackson the highest amount ever for a safety at the time in 2020, $58.4 million for four years, and his productivity went down afterward until they cut him after the 2023 season.

Brisker and the Bears reported he's in good health during offseason work.

His goal is to stay that way.

"Just stay healthy," he said during minicamp. "I don't have to prove anything. When I was out there, I made plays. I go attack the ball and I come down and hit, I come down and tackle, and I'm a leader. Really, just have to be out there."

To be fair to PFN, finding someone else from the Bears to focus on is difficult because of, in part, GM Ryan Poles for better or worse.

Braxton Jones is the next-best option but tagging a tackle costs like it does a cornerback and the Bears have two candidates to replace Jones next year already on the roster—not to mention the fact they'll have chances in the draft and free agency in 2026. It's the main reason for speculation this could be a year when Jones gets traded at some point.

This could have applied to Brisker, as well, but his health history makes a trade unlikely.

There is a shortage of fourth-year starters besides Brisker who would qualify to be tagged without a signed contract for 2026.

Part of the reason for this is Poles managed to sign Kyler Gordon to a contract extension already.

The bad news is the rest of the draft class has either accomplished little or already been dispatched.

Velus Jones Jr. was waived, Dominique Robinson will be fighting for a roster spot this year. Zachary Thomas was cut, put on their practice squad and plucked away. Trestan Ebner was a complete washout. Doug Kramer is in the same place as Robinson, just hoping to make the team. Ja'Tyre Carter and Trenton Gill were waived and Elijah Hicks has been an effective backup but not a starter who would be tagged.

Overall the Bears don't even have many starters coming out of contract after this year, let alone fourth-year players. Safety is where they're hit particularly hard but not much elsewhere.

Perhaps if Poles had drafted better this situation would be different, too.

Here ar Bears who are out of contract after 2025 and are unrestricted or restricted free agents:

Unrestricted Bears Free Agents 2026

* Starter

  • S Kevin Byard*
  • S Jaquan Brisker*
  • S Elijah Hicks
  • S Jonathan Owens
  • S Tarvarius Moore
  • G Ryan Bates
  • T Braxton Jones*
  • DE Dominique Robinson
  • DT Andrew Billings*
  • DT Chris Williams
  • TE Durham Smythe
  • WR Olamide Zaccheaus
  • QB Case Keenum
  • RB Travis Homer
  • LS Scott Daly
  • WR Devin Duvernay
  • CB Nick McCloud
  • RT Joshua Miles
  • WR Miles Boykin
  • CB Nashon Wright
  • CB Shaun Wade

Restricted Bears Free Agents 2026

  • WR Samori Toure
  • G Bill Murray
  • DE Daniel Hardy
  • C/G Chris Glaser
  • T Stephen Carlson
  • WR Maurice Alexander
  • DT Jonathan Ford
  • CB Ameer Speed
  • QB Tyson Bagent
  • Doug Kramer

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.