Steelers' Jaquan Brisker Sends Powerful Message: "We Need To Bring That Home"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reshaped a lot of the roster during the 2026 offseason, and the coaching staff is almost entirely different as well. One unit that was fairly disappointing during the 2025 season was the defense, particularly the secondary. The franchise was dealing with some injuries on the back end of the defense, but fans wanted to see that group perform a little bit better. The organization took the necessary steps to improve once free agency rolled around as Pittsburgh signed cornerback Jamel Dean to a three-year deal. The Steelers also added Jaquan Brisker, who happens to be a native of Pittsburgh.

Brisker joins a talented safety room as Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott are expected to be the two starters. Brisker will probably be the third safety in most packages, and his versatility is intriguing as he can play up in the box and down around the line of scrimmage. He was an exciting signing as he has played a ton of football in the state of Pennsylvania as he played his high school football in Monroeville and then finished his college career at Penn State. He grew up a Steelers fan and he has mentioned that his entire family is full of fans of the team. He made a promising statement during a recent appearance on The Christian Kuntz Podcast.

"We need to win the seventh," Brisker said. "Bring that home."

The safety mentioned several times throughout the interview that all he really cares about is winning, and that was a big reason he chose to come home to Pittsburgh during free agency. The winning tradition of the organization is attractive to some players, and that's what led him to sign with the franchise. He wants to be a part of the reason the Steelers win their seventh Super Bowl.

Brisker was a second-round pick back in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he was selected by the Chicago Bears. He spent the first four years of his career with the Bears, and he proved himself to be a good player. It was a bit surprising to see him sign a one-year deal for just $5 million once free agency began. It seemed like he could have commanded a bit more money on a deal with some more years, but an offer like that never came.

The safety had some rough years in Chicago that did not lead to much team success, but the organization turned things around in 2025. The Bears won a playoff game and made it to the Divisional Round, which is more than what the Steelers have been able to do over the last decade or so. Hopefully he can be a part of the reason the Steelers are able to get over the hump in 2026.

Teams around the NFL have been using a third safety a lot more, and it was something the Seattle Seahawks had a lot of success with en route to winning the Super Bowl. The key is having a capable player to play in that third safety spot, which includes being able to tackle in the run game, cover, and blitz. Brisker checks those boxes for the Steelers.

Steelers Have Some Familiarity In The Defensive Backfield

Joey Porter Jr. played alongside Brisker when the two were at Penn State, and Porter was trying to get Brisker to sign in Pittsburgh. Pat Freiermuth was also on that team, and now the presence of those Nittany Lions is felt in Pittsburgh. That familiarity between Porter and Brisker will hopefully lead to a good connection on the field that can improve the defensive unit. 

If the Steelers can field a better overall defense in 2026, the franchise will have a much better chance of making some noise in the postseason rather than just punching a ticket to the playoffs.

What do you think about Brisker's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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