Two former Bears safeties signed deals elsewhere on Thursday. Jaquan Brisker signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Steelers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Likewise, C.J. Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Bills, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.
Brisker, who turns 27 in April, was a second-round pick by the Bears in Ryan Poles’ first draft class as the team’s general manager in 2022. The Pittsburgh native returns home to play for the Steelers after four seasons
with Chicago. In that time, he played in 52 of 68 possible games, starting all of them. In 2025, he played in all 17 games with 93 tackles, one interception, and eight pass deflections. He ranked No. 37 in the NFL with a 75.5 score by PFSN’s SAF Impact Metric.
Though Brisker was a long-term starter for the Bears, Gardner-Johnson was a midseason acquisition by the organization in 2025. He began the year on the Texans and played three games there before he was released. He went on to play in 10 games for Chicago, tallying 66 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and four pass deflections. His versatility to play in the slot helped relieve the loss of Kyler Gordon and made him a reliable blitzing defender. Gardner-Johnson ranked at No. 63 in PFSN’s SAF Impact Metric.
The Bears find themselves with a different looking safety room in 2026, with both Brisker and Gardner-Johnson joining Pro Bowler Kevin Byard as departures from Chicago’s roster. Elijah Hicks remains the only player retained, as Jonathan Owens is still a free agent. The Bears signed former Seahawks standout Coby Bryant to fill one of their starting roles, while former Bills backup Cam Lewis projects as depth as the team looks for another potential starter, either in the second wave of free agency or in the 2026 NFL Draft.
