As training camp prepared to kick off, things weren’t looking ideal for the Chicago Bears. Jaquan Brisker, their talented rookie safety, was reportedly ready to sit out practices due to a standoff over his contract. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune heard it had to do with guaranteed money in the third year of the deal. Then to add gas to the flame, news broke star linebacker Roquan Smith was ready to do the same. GM Ryan Poles faced the prospect of two starters not suiting up when camp began.
Thankfully the 36-year-old stepped up to the challenge. At the eleventh hour, he found common ground with Brisker’s camp to bring the horse into the barn. Wiederer reported the 2nd round pick agreed to his deal on July 25th. He should sign it shortly and will be ready for practices once the veterans arrive to join the rookies at Halas Hall. That is one bullet dodged. Now Poles can shift his focus to Smith.
“The Chicago Bears are finalizing a four-year contract for second-round pick Jaquan Brisker, which will allow the safety to report to Halas Hall on Tuesday as the team convenes for training camp.
Rookies and quarterbacks began reporting to camp in Lake Forest over the weekend. But Brisker was not among the early arrivals as he waited for his rookie deal to be finished. (He was the last of the team’s 11 draft picks without a signed contract.)
According to a league source, however, Brisker’s camp and the Bears front office reached an agreement on a deal Monday afternoon.”
Jaquan Brisker holdout never felt like it’d last long.
Rookie contracts aren’t nearly as tricky as massive extensions for veterans. There is only so much room for agents to maneuver. It felt like Brisker’s agent was testing Poles to see what he could get away with. Multiple players selected ahead of the safety in the 2nd round got high percentages of their contracts fully guaranteed. Brisker wanted the same. The Bears weren’t willing to go that far, at least initially. It will be interesting to see the deal’s details when they come out.
Either way, Poles got the job done. The entire 2022 draft class is secure. No practices will be missed. That improves the odds of Jaquan Brisker becoming an immediate starter. Welcome news, considering how good he looked in minicamps and OTAs. Smith is another story. He has no agent and is seeking to become one of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. That is a far bigger challenge. Thankfully the GM can devote his entire focus to it now.
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This was a minor snag in negotiating a rookie contract that was already slotted. No reason for it to take any longer and no reason to blow it out of proportion except there’s no news this week except for the signing of a legit O lineman and the Roquan thing. I expect Roquan to be done within a week to 10 days. He has value such that, even if he somehow doesn’t fit in this new D, he would still be tradeable. But, I expect him to be here long term.
That is 1 down and 1 to go! Now, pay R. Smith the money!