Chicago Bears interim coach Thomas Brown says he’s ‘not sure’ if safety Jaquan Brisker will return this season

LAKE FOREST – It remains unclear if Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker will return this season. Brisker has been out since suffering a concussion Oct. 6 against the Carolina Panthers.

Brisker has missed eight games and is eligible to return to practice this week. When the team returned to Halas Hall for practice Thursday, Brisker did not take the field with his teammates. Brisker remains on injured reserve.

Asked if Brisker will play again this season, interim head coach Thomas Brown said, “Taking it day by day, so I’m not sure.”

Brisker sat out four games while he was still on the 53-man roster. He then went on injured reserve Nov. 14. A stint on injured reserve requires at least a four-game absence. After four games, a team can open a 21-day practice window for players on IR, during which they can practice but won’t count against the 53-man roster.

It remains unclear if the Bears will open Brisker’s practice window. Brown’s comment didn’t instill much confidence that Brisker will return for any of the final four games this season.

This is Brisker’s third concussion in three NFL seasons. He was a 2022 second-round draft pick, one of general manager Ryan Poles' first draft picks in charge.

The Bears held a walk-through practice Thursday, so the injury report was an estimate by the team’s training staff. Notably, running back D’Andre Swift (groin) and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter (knee) did not participate.

Additionally, offensive lineman Ryan Bates (concussion), cornerback Josh Blackwell (shoulder) and running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) also did not participate. Safety Elijah Hicks (ankle) was limited. Running back Travis Homer (head) was a full participant.