The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in a few hometown heroes during the 2026 offseason. Pittsburgh started by adding Mike McCarthy at head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down from the role. Now one Steelers free agent expressed his gratitude for joining the team he rooted for as a child.
Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker explained how much it means to him to finally play for his hometown team.
“It feels amazing … I'm just getting chills saying I'm a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Brisker said during his introductory press conference, per Steelers reporter Brian Batko.
Brisker is a Pittsburgh kid through and through. He was born and raised in the city and attended Gateway High School in the suburbs outside of Pittsburgh. He even stayed in state during college, attending Penn State.
The Steelers signed Brisker to a one-year contract worth $5.5 million on March 12th.
Brisker joined the NFL as a second-round pick with the Bears back in 2022. He has been a consistent playmaker in Chicago's secondary over the past four seasons.
The veteran safety started all 17 games during the 2025 season, the first time of his career. He impressed, logging 93 total tackles, eight passes defensed, one sack, and one interception.
Brisker projects as Pittsburgh's next starting strong safety alongside DeShon Elliott and the rest of the secondary. The Steelers also added veteran cornerback Jamel Dean from the Buccaneers during free agency. Now Pittsburgh looks to have a deep defensive unit at all three levels.
In general, Pittsburgh's roster looks quite well rounded on both sides of the football.
It will be exciting to see which positions the Steelers attack during the 2026 NFL Draft.
