Jaquan Brisker never got to watch a Pittsburgh Steelers game in person while growing up around Monroeville, rooting then for Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu.
The former Gateway and Penn State safety never got to play at Acrisure Stadium in high school or college, either. So, the 26-year-old was understandably excited Monday, envisioning himself running onto the field this fall as a member of the home team.
“I never thought I’d be a Steeler — which is crazy — but now that I’m here, I’m just so blessed and humbled,” said Brisker, who signed as a free agent after four seasons in Chicago. “I just get chills knowing that I’m going to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, and I’m from Pittsburgh.”
Brisker signed a one-year contract worth a reported $5.5 million. He fills a position of need for the Steelers, who were forced to try a few options at safety last season.
The 6-foot-1, 204-pounder started all 52 games he played for the Bears, making 342 tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions. He has drawn the most acclaim for his run-stopping skills but split snaps close to evenly between box safety (421) and free safety (508) last season.
He said he anticipates a similar role here.
“I feel excited to be used like a Swiss army knife,” Brisker said. “Just being moved around to showcase what I can do and to help the team win.”
He pointed out how the NFL’s best safeties nowadays have position flexibility, at times moving to a linebacker or cornerback role.
“Safeties are now playing the Will, the Star,” said Brisker, mentioning safeties Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton as examples. “You just have to be versatile, but you have to be willing to know the playbook.”
Brisker said he was training in Southern California when his agent reached an agreement with the Steelers. His first call was to his mother, and then he sent a message to the family group chat.
News of his homecoming spread widely Thursday, and Brisker hasn’t been able to keep his cell phone charged since.
The 2017 Gateway graduate has plenty of friends and family eager to see him wearing a Steelers jersey. He has decided to wear No. 3, the same digit he wore in high school.
“The last few days, it’s honestly been crazy,” Brisker said. “My phone has been blowing up to the point that my (battery) was on 90%, and it died. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ That’s how many calls and texts I was getting.”
One of his former Penn State teammates, Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., was also draining his phone battery in the early hours of free agency, wanting to know where Brisker was headed.
“He was blowing up my agent and blowing me up,” Brisker said.
The two former Nittany Lions are friends. Brisker recalled how Porter arrived at Penn State as a brash, four-star recruit. As a team captain, his mission was to deflate the youngster’s ego.
“I had to get Joey together,” Brisker said laughing. “He had to mature. Which he did, and that’s one of my favorite teammates. One of my guys. To see where he came from at Penn State to now, it’s amazing.”
A 2022 second-round draft pick, Brisker became an immediate starter in Chicago. He earned all-rookie team honors from Pro Football Focus after starting 15 games and making 104 tackles.
Brisker made a career-high 105 tackles in his second season.
A concussion sidelined him for the final 12 games in 2024, but Brisker returned to health last season and finished second on the Bears with 93 tackles. He had one interception and eight pass defenses.
After his rookie contract expired without an extension, Brisker said he shared with his agent a couple of teams he‘d be interested in joining. But Brisker made clear how Pittsburgh was his priority.
“I wanted to come back and play here,” he said. “Obviously, the tradition that they have here, I’ve seen it from afar. I had a lot of teammates come and play here. They say it’s amazing. I always knew that.”