When Brad Biggs speaks on roster construction, it’s rarely noise. The longtime Chicago Tribune insider is well-connected inside Halas Hall, and his recent comments strongly suggest a tough financial decision looming for the Chicago Bears, specifically at the safety position.
Biggs doesn’t see a realistic path for Chicago to retain both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker long term. His reasoning is simple: committing major money to two safeties would limit flexibility elsewhere on the roster, especially as the Bears continue shaping a long-term contender.
“I don’t see any way the Bears sign both Byard and Brisker. That would be pouring too much money into the safety position. Even if Byard departs, I’m a little skeptical the team would pony up for Brisker.“
Why the Bears May Have to Choose
While Brisker delivered an outstanding performance in the divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Biggs cautioned against allowing that game to outweigh the full body of work. He described it as Brisker’s best game of the season and possibly his best in four years but questioned whether that level of impact was present consistently throughout the regular season. In short, one elite performance shouldn’t drive a major contract decision.
Byard, meanwhile, may be the more realistic retention option. Biggs noted that the veteran safety appears open to returning, with the Bears potentially targeting a two-year deal or even a three-year structure to help spread out the cap hit. That approach would provide leadership and stability without overextending financially.
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“Byard seems to like the idea of returning. My guess is the Bears might try to sign him to a two-year deal, perhaps three years if they want to spread out the cap hit a little bit.”
From my perspective, I wish the Bears could keep both Brisker and Byard. The energy, physicality, and emotion they bring to the defense is infectious, and they are simply fun to watch. Unfortunately, this is the reality of roster building in the NFL. These are the tough, unemotional decisions a general manager has to make to keep a team competitive long term, even when it means letting go of players fans love.
