The list of starting defensive players holding out at the start of Chicago Bears training camp is down to one. According to the Chicago Tribune, rookie second-round pick Jaquan Brisker is finalizing a four-year deal that will allow the former Penn State safety to report to training camp on time.
The Bears are scheduled to conduct their first practice on Wednesday morning. With Brisker under contract, his path to a starting job has been cleared. He’ll compete with veteran DeAndre Houston-Carson and free-agent signing Dane Cruikshank over the next several weeks, but all indications are that it’s Brisker’s job to lose.
General manager Ryan Poles prioritized defense with his first two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cornerback Kyler Gordon (Washington) was selected with the Bears’ first of two second-rounders — No. 39 overall. Jaquan Brisker came next at No. 48.
Veteran linebacker Roquan Smith isn’t expected to report to Chicago Bears training camp on Tuesday in what may be the start of a lengthy holdout. The 2018 first-round pick is seeking a lucrative contract extension entering the final year of his rookie deal.
