Free agency is usually when fans browse headlines for star power and to see if their team is linked to any of the top free agents. But for contenders, it's just as often about raising the baseline—adding depth players and players who don't always generate the big headlines. 49ers general manager John Lynch strives to build resilient position groups that can endure a long, grueling NFL season.
Although I will be the first to admit that the 49ers currently have more pressing needs to address throughout their roster, the safety room still fits that description, which is why they should at least consider a swing at former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
Right now, the 49ers deploy Malik Mustapha alongside Ji'Ayir Brown, and injuries forced the team to lean on Marques Sigle for extended stretches as well. That reality makes it worth asking a simple question: if San Francisco prefers a pair of downhill, hard-hitting safeties, would Brisker be a valuable piece moving forward? On paper, pairing Brisker with Mustapha fits that bill. But that also leaves them without a ball-hawk flying around like a traditional free safety.
It's not quite the combination of Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner—Goldson could be a thief on the back end and still lay the wood, and Whitner didn't earn the nickname "Hitner" for nothing. But the broader idea is familiar: two safeties who can trigger downhill, tackle, and add an edge to the middle of the field.
Brisker, 26, appears to be an afterthought as Chicago looks prepared to move on without his services. The Bears are prioritizing a deal for All-Pro Kevin Byard, who led the NFL with seven interceptions last season. If Chicago is pouring resources into a veteran ballhawk, that could leave Brisker as the odd man out—exactly the type of free-agent opportunity a contender should monitor.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Brisker earned a 60.4 overall grade last season, ranking 68th among 98 qualified safeties—hardly elite, but not unplayable either, especially considering he was operating within a sub-par Bears defense. Over 1,071 defensive snaps, he logged 69 solo tackles (21st), generated 11 pressures (8th), allowed 31 receptions (15th), and added one sack and one interception.
| Player | Age | PFF overall grade | Def. snaps | Solo tackles | INT | Pressures | Receptions allowed |
| Jaquan Brisker | 26 | 60.4 | 1,071 | 69 | 1 | 11 | 31 |
| Malik Mustapha | 23 | 64.5 | 698 | 56 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Ji'Ayir Brown | 26 | 61.7 | 800 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 24 |
| Marques Sigle | 23 | 43.2 | 387 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
My first takeaway is that Malik Mustapha already looks like a viable starter entering just his third season—his 64.5 grade tops the group, but he did it on 698 snaps; so there is a decent sample size there. My second takeaway is the one that matters for roster-building: Brisker's pressure production pops. His 11 pressures rank eighth among qualified safeties, and that type of blitzing success from the back end is difficult to manufacture without leaving yourself vulnerable as a unit at times. That's where that ball-hawk safety would come in handy.
And then there's the depth question. San Francisco's injury issues exposed how quickly a safety rotation can get thin, and Sigle's 43.2 overall grade on 387 snaps tells a blunt story. Yikes. Even if the 49ers believe in their top two, adding a third safety who can play meaningful snaps—and force competition in camp—has real value and something to at least consider.
If the 49ers want to lean into physicality, a Brisker-Mustapha combination makes sense as a tone-setting duo: downhill triggers, reliable tackling volume, and enough playmaking to get by. Brisker doesn't need to be sold as a single-high eraser like his partner Byard last season to be useful—his profile suggests he can be deployed closer to the action, where his pressures and willingness to come forward can actually change play calls.
That also doesn't have to come at Brown's expense. Brown has logged 800 snaps with a 61.7 grade and two interceptions. In a perfect world, Brisker becomes another legitimate option—not a forced replacement, allowing the 49ers to mix and match and potentially play in a three-safety set when/if it applies, having Brisker in the box as a hybrid, and an insurance policy to protect against injury volatility. The immediate issue is the financial implications.
Not to pour cold water on my notion, but according to Spotrac, Brisker is expected to earn $11.1 million annually on his next deal, and with all of the 49ers' needs elsewhere, for this to work, that number has to decrease significantly. If it lands somewhere in the $7-8 million range, we can have a more serious conversation.