Bears’ Brisker aims to make impact by staying healthy

Bears safety Jaquan Brisker settled into his assignment during the first 11-on-11 pass play of Monday’s training camp practice as quarterback Caleb Williams took the snap. What happened next surprised Brisker.

Williams decided to test Brisker by sneaking in a pass toward his direction. Once Brisker saw what Williams was about to do, he quickly reacted and dove at the ball before batting it down.

It was an electric play for the defense to set the tone for the morning. But Brisker had other thoughts about it.

“I should’ve picked that,” Brisker said Monday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. “I should’ve made a play on that. I didn’t think he was going to try me, but he did. I should’ve come away with that, but it just ended up being a (pass breakup).”

The Bears will need more of those moments and energy if they want to rebound from a 5-12 season. Brisker’s health and ability to play in games will play a major role in whether they can do that.

Over three seasons, Brisker has started all 35 games he’s appeared in. But injuries have kept him away from the field at various moments in his career. Brisker has been diagnosed with three concussions since he joined the Bears in 2022, including one that kept him out of the final 12 games last season. He also missed parts of all three training camps he’s been a part of because of various injuries.

Brisker hasn’t worn a guardian cap during the spring and training camp and told reporters he never thought about wearing one. He did change his helmet as he’s focused on playing as much as he can this season.

“Really just play all 21 games,” Brisker said. “When I say 21 it’s plus playoffs and Super Bowl. Just really that I can play all 21 games. I’m a playmaker. I can make plays. I’m going to hit. I’m going to tackle, cover, make plays on the ball and things like that.”

He’s also going to bring the noise.

While the Bears missed Brisker’s play on the field, they also missed his energy. Brisker has always been a loud player on and off the field since he first came into the NFL. He’s brought that energy back with him in the spring and the start of camp.

“He’s going to bring the juice,” safety Kevin Byard said. “Like I said, be who you gonna be every single day. And that’s what I love about him. Every single day, he’s the same person. And he’s a heck of a football player. I mean, let’s not get it twisted. I know he had the concussion last year. But the first five games he was on a tear. So I’m expecting the same things from him this year.”

If Brisker can stay on the field, he should meet those expectations in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme. Allen has already shown he’ll play various coverages during camp to confuse offenses. Brisker has played into that, learning different positions in order to play back in coverage, on the line of scrimmage, in the slot or outside.

It’s an effort to play up to Brisker’s talents and make teams worry about where he is at all times. If he can stay healthy, they’ll likely be looking for his jersey.

“It’s fun,” Brisker said. “We’re flying around and making plays. We’re actually playing faster than what I think they thought and to what I thought. We’re in a good position.”

Practice notes

The Bears finally got a chance to hit each other Monday as they put the pads on and practiced in humid conditions in the morning.

Rookie tight end Colston Loveland had his best practice of camp as he made a few impressive catches and was active with different quarterbacks. His best catch came during 7-on-7 drills when he jumped up high to grab a pass from Williams. He caught another pass down the middle from Williams a couple throws later.

Loveland, the Bears’ first-round draft pick in April, has been working his way back onto the field over the past week. He didn’t participate during offseason workouts before the start of camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery he had in January. Loveland first took part in team drills Saturday before Sunday’s off day.

The offense showed mixed results as it focused more on the run game. Williams and center Drew Dalman struggled with some exchanges during 11-on-11s and the offense was called for a false start.

The duo continues to develop their bond after the Bears signed Dalman during the offseason. Williams is also still learning how to play more under center after not doing it much in college or his rookie season.

“We’ve had plenty of learning moments where we’re getting a feel for each other,” Dalman said. “Every quarterback and center exchange is a little different. But yeah, it’s great and he’s done a great job.”

The first team had its best showing during 7-on-7s when Williams completed four of his six passes during the session. DJ Moore made an impressive catch on a deep ball and also showed off his running back skills.

Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie all took snaps at left tackle with the first team Monday.

Injury update

Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III returned to the practice field Monday for the first time since rookie minicamp at the beginning of May. Burden, whom the Bears selected in the second round of April’s draft, had been out with a soft-tissue issue. He didn’t do much work Monday as he worked his way back into football activities.

Rookie cornerback Zah Frazier (personal) missed his fifth practice of camp while rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner (ankle) sat out his fourth straight. Amegadjie returned to the field after leaving practice Saturday while center Doug Kramer was out with a leg injury he suffered Saturday. He’s considered day-to-day.

Defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, whom the Bears signed Tuesday, left practice on a cart.