The Chicago Bears are finalizing a four-year contract for second-round pick Jaquan Brisker, which will allow the safety to report to Halas Hall on Tuesday as the team convenes for training camp.
Rookies and quarterbacks began reporting to camp in Lake Forest over the weekend. But Brisker was not among the early arrivals as he waited for his rookie deal to be finished. (He was the last of the team’s 11 draft picks without a signed contract.)
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According to a league source, however, Brisker’s camp and the Bears front office reached an agreement on a deal Monday afternoon.
With the Bears’ first full team practice of camp scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Brisker will be able to get back on the field and continue his growth in new coach Matt Eberflus’ system without missing a beat. Drafted No. 48 overall in April, Brisker is likely to be a Week 1 starter on the back end of the defense.
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Late last week, there had been heightening concern that Brisker might hold out into training camp without a suitable contract agreement. But the Bears were able to sidestep that scenario and will welcome the promising safety to team facilities Tuesday.
That should provide a sigh of relief for new general manager Ryan Poles. But Poles will now also have to deal with tension surrounding the contract status of standout linebacker Roquan Smith. A two-time second-team All-Pro, Smith is entering the final year of his rookie contract and seeking a massive extension beyond 2022.
According to an NFL Network report Monday afternoon, Smith’s displeasure with the progress of extension talks could lead him to avoid participating in practices as training camp gets underway this week.
