It seems as if new Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and safety Jaquan Brisker were always destined to work together at some point. That time has finally come ahead of the 2025 season.
Brisker, entering his fourth season in the NFL with the Bears, sat down with Kyle Odegard of Casino Beat for a one-on-one interview, where he discussed the new coaching staff he's set to play under. While Brisker explained how excited he was to work with head coach Ben Johnson, he also discussed getting the chance to play under Allen as his new defensive coordinator.
It's a pairing that has been a few years in the making, going back to the 2022 NFL Draft. Brisker told Odegard that during the NFL Combine, Allen, then the coach of the New Orleans Saints, planned to select the Penn State standout with their second-round pick:
When we were in the draft, Dennis Allen and I met at the combine and they told me at 49 they were going to take me. They were going to pick me and I was like one pick away. So there was that connection always there. They had signed Tyrann [Mathieu], so I was going to come in to play next to him.”
There are many instances where teams claim they were going to select a certain player in the draft, but for one reason or another, it never comes to fruition. In the Saints case, though, it's likely Allen was telling the truth. The Bears sniped Brisker with the No. 48 overall pick, one selection in front of the Saints, who lost both starting safeties that offseason. New Orleans then selected cornerback Alontae Taylor with the No. 49 pick, still bolstering their secondary.
Three years later, Brisker and Allen reunited, and the 25-year-old safety is excited about finally getting the opportunity to work with the veteran coach. The two had a chance to chat following Allen's hiring, where they reminisced about their chat at the NFL Combine:
Yeah, we both kind of brought it up. He’s like, 'finally, we get to connect'. And, you know, you get to coach me, I can play for you. So it was a great moment, because at the combine, I had a great interview with them, and I love Coach Allen. I still remember what he was trying to teach me at the Combine and said that to him, and he was laughing.
It seems Allen and Brisker were destined to work together, and both men are looking for a bounce-back season. Brisker was off to a stellar campaign in 2024 before a serious concussion sidelined him for the final 12 games. Allen, meanwhile, was fired midseason from the Saints after going 2-7 in 2024. It would be fitting to see them help each other improve in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Jaquan Brisker reveals he was set to get drafted by the Saints
