The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a fun team to watch during the 2026 offseason as the franchise is under new leadership at head coach for the first time in 19 seasons. The new approach to the draft will be fun to see, and the same goes for free agency. An offensive focus should be expected in both regards, but the defense has some areas that need to be sured up. A main weakness comes on the back end. DeShon Elliott has been reliable when healthy, but the organization is really going to need another capable body at safety to go with Elliott and Jalen Ramsey.
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Steelers' DeShon Elliott makes a physical tackle during a win over the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
Aside from Elliott and Ramsey, the Steelers also primarily had some mixture of Chuck Clark and Kyle Dugger back at safety. They each had their moments, good and bad, but it is safe to say neither player will be brought back unless it is solely for depth purposes. Pittsburgh has a few options when it comes to safety on the free agent market, and a player like Bryan Cook from the Kansas City Chiefs could be interesting.
If Pittsburgh wanted to go a cheaper route, a player like Jaquan Brisker might be worth looking at. Pittsburgh was predicted to signed Brisker in ESPN's most recent free agency prediction article written by Matt Bowen.
"In Pittsburgh, Brisker would replace Kyle Dugger under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham," Bowen wrote. "Brisker can play over the top in Cover 2, and he would be a disruptive box defender in Graham's single-high schemes. In four seasons with the Bears, Brisker had four interceptions, seven sacks and 14 pass breakups. The Steelers could also target a cornerback in free agency as they try to clean up the secondary."
The organization should welcome in a player like Brisker. He is a native of Pittsburgh, and he played his college football at Penn State where he actually overlapped with both Pat Freiermuth and Joey Porter Jr. He and Porter have played in the same defensive backfield before, so a reunion could be logical.
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Bears safety Jaquan Brisker taunts the Raiders crowd during the 2025 NFL regular season.
Brisker is slightly cheaper than a top free agent safety like Cook as Cook is projected to earn around $14 million per season, while Brisker's projections have him making roughly $11 million per year. According to Spotrac, Brisker is going to sign a three-year deal worth around $33 million with some team, but that price is going to vary depending on the market for the player.
The safety has been a starter for the Chicago Bears for all four years he has been with the team. He had some injury trouble in 2024 and only appeared in five games, but he bounced back in 2025. The safety recorded 93 total tackles, a sack, and an interception on the season in 17 games. His first two years in the league, he notched over 100 tackles, and he has recorded one interception in each season.
Brisker also excelled in the postseason as he stepped up his game. In the two playoff games for the Bears, the safety totaled 23 total tackles, two pass breakups, a sack, and a tackle for a loss. In the right situation, he could blossom into an even better player, and that situation could be in Pittsburgh.
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Bears safety Jaquan Brisker pumps up the crowd at Soldier Field during a playoff game at the end of the 2025 season.
Steelers Adding Jaquan Brisker Could Be Redundant
The only criticism for signing a player like Brisker would be that his skill set sort of overlaps with Elliott. Both are known for their tackling and making some plays around the line of scrimmage. A healthy Elliott coming back in 2026 might make the Steelers look elsewhere when it comes to safety. Cook is an option to consider, while other names that are expected to be available include Kam Curl, Jalen Thompson, or Coby Bryant.
What do you think about adding Brisker in Pittsburgh?
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