Never lacking for confidence, Bears safety Jaquan Brisker had big plans the moment he stepped on the practice field at Halas Hall in April, embracing the idea of being named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
And he has even bigger plans after quickly establishing himself as a playmaker through his first six NFL games.
Details?
‘‘I’m just getting warmed up, I’ll say that,’’ Brisker said.
On a rebuilding Bears team where progress — especially on offense — is so incremental that it’s often imperceptible, Brisker is a foundation piece who has lived up to expectations as the rookie most likely to succeed.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon figured to have his ups and downs as a rookie starter at a hot-spot position. And while he’s trending upward, he has had his tough moments. Brisker, literally in a better position to succeed at strong safety in coach Matt Eberflus’ defense, has acclimated quickly.
All but anointed a Week 1 starter from the moment he was drafted, Brisker recovered a fumble on his sixth NFL snap against the 49ers in the season opener. He’s far from a finished product, but he already has become a player you can’t help but watch even before the snap.
Brisker has three tackles for loss this season, and his sack of Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz on Oct. 13 was his second of the season. No Bears safety has had two sacks in a season since Al Afalava in 2009, and none has had more than two since Mike Brown and Mike Green in 2001.
Afalava was a one-year Bear, and Green was an overachiever as a seventh-round draft pick. But Brown was one of the best safeties in Bears history, an All-Pro in 2001 and a Pro Bowl player in 2005 whose star might be in another realm if not for injuries.
Brisker has earned comparisons to Brown, whose instinct for the position and dedication to improvement and fundamentals always seemed to put him in the right place at the right time. Brisker has those same qualities.
‘‘I see him improving in practice,’’ Eberflus said when he was asked about Brisker’s potential for staying power as an impact player. ‘‘Some of the things we work on with him is the footwork and the block protection and all those things you have to do a good job at safety.’’
Perhaps most of all, Brisker is a good fit for this defense.
‘‘Man, he’s tough,’’ Eberflus said. ‘‘What I love about him is his toughness. He’s a mentally and physically tough player, and that’s what we covet here at the Bears. You have that with the way he wants to learn and get better with [safeties coach] Andre [Curtis] and learn from the older guys. He’s willing to get better every day. That’s going to make for a good product.’’
Even after the fast start, Brisker’s self-evaluation during the mini-bye was more about what he should do better. He doesn’t want to rely too much on his instinct for the position.
‘‘I could be a lot more consistent,’’ he said. ‘‘I could play a lot lower, be more of a technician and just reading my keys better. There are a lot of plays where I could have walked in front of interceptions or gotten my hands on a ball or even got a strip-fumble. I could be a lot more of a playmaker.’’
And while he has big dreams, he knows any individual accolades are unlikely to come without team success.
‘‘I can’t get too high or too low,’’ Brisker said. ‘‘There’s always room to get better. This is my first year, so I’ve got to keep learning and getting better. Until we’re in the playoffs and [success] like that, I’m not satisfied.’’
