The Pittsburgh Steelers' highly anticipated 2026 season is inching closer as they will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 to kick it off. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff are making preparations as they now have a feel for their team following the conclusion of the exhibition schedule. There are many storylines surrounding the storied franchise as it enters this new chapter in its book. One of those is how the defense will perform under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. He has one player at his disposal who was just given the key to a successful 2026 season.
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Steelers Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham stands with Head Coach Mike McCarthy during rookie minicamp in 2026.
Pittsburgh signed versatile safety Jaquan Brisker to a one-year deal in the 2026 offseason; this was one of many moves. He will have a chance to be a high impact player in Graham's defense for the team with his ability to move all around the field. This comes after a four-year stint with the Chicago Bears to start his NFL career.
On Friday, beat writer Mark Kaboly joined 93.7 The Fan to discuss the organization's roster. During the discussion, the former Penn State safety was mentioned. Kaboly explained what he believes is the key for him to have a successful 2026 campaign. It is something that has benefitted him so far during his professional tenure.
“They just need [Jaquan] Brisker to do what he does best,” Kaboly said. “I don’t want to see him playing any center field. Like I said, he led the Bears in sacks his rookie year. You see what he did in the playoff game against the Rams last year. The guy can make plays and move all around. I don’t want him just being a safety valve.”
In that rookie season in Chicago, he did have four sacks while starting 15 games as a free safety. He also was able to snag an interception, one fumble recovery, as well as contributing five tackles for loss during that 2022 campaign.
The biggest positive to Brisker's game is that he is able to be a versatile player at the safety position and not just hang out in the backend of the secondary for when plays break down defensively. This style can lead to him being effective in 2026 — both in the passing game and the running game, as he has done so before in his career.
Pittsburgh has seen many players come through in the secondary that are just those safety valve type of guys that Kaboly mentioned when discussing the defense. That is where the former Bear can step in and change things for the defense in the 2026 season. He adds a layer of versatility in the defensive game planning where he can be used in pass coverage as well as being a key piece in helping to stop the run. He also can get after the quarterback.
Steelers Have More Weapons For Graham To Deploy On Defense
Graham did a solid job during his tenure as the defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. This came despite having no true star power outside of edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Now, he has the tall task of taking over one of the NFL's more historically-prominent defenses in hopes of turning it around and trying to get them back to its past dominant ways. The one thing benefitting him is that he was able to do more with less in Las Vegas and he now has more talent to work with in the Steel City.
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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker (3) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Some young defenders for the Black and Gold recently received some high praise from their veteran teammate Cam Heyward. Brisker is no different given his way to impact the opposing offenses in both facets of the game. This signing could prove to be one of best ones given that fact that he received a one year deal for $5.5 million. However, it is important to play him to his strengths where he can be all over the field making plays and not just the safety valve guy.
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