Jaquan Brisker grew up in Pittsburgh, something he shares with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. After signing a one-year contract with the Steelers on Monday, the veteran safety said McCarthy is one of the reasons why he wanted to return home.
“I wanted to play for him when he coached at the Cowboys. And he had some of the similar staff here that he brought over to the Steelers, so we had a good relationship,” Brisker said during his introductory press conference via the team’s YouTube channel.
Brisker said McCarthy recalled conversations he had with his father, and he “thought it was big” that McCarthy remembered him. Brisker was frequently linked to the Cowboys ahead of the 2022 draft, but he ultimately ended up in Chicago as a second-round pick. But he seemed to have established a relationship with McCarthy, and now he’ll get the chance to play for his fellow Yinzer.
Brisker attended Gateway High School just outside of Pittsburgh, and he talked about how excited he is to join his hometown team. He’ll reunite with his college teammate and fellow Pittsburgher Joey Porter Jr., while the Steelers also have Daequan Hardy, a fellow Pittsburgh resident and Penn State alum, under contract. There’s plenty of mutual experience, and McCarthy can relate to someone like Brisker.
Having an established relationship with the head coach is important, and it can ease Brisker’s transition coming over from Chicago. Overall, the transition could be easier for the Steelers’ free agents this year, as they’re joining a team with an almost entirely new coaching staff. There isn’t a sense of familiarity with players when a staff rolls over, and everyone will be in the same boat, learning under new coaches.
We always heard how many players wanted to suit up for Mike Tomlin and how that influenced decisions to join the Steelers. Even with Tomlin gone, the Steelers have an experienced head coach and someone free agents want to play for. If McCarthy can find success with the Steelers, the number of players who will want to come to Pittsburgh will only go up. But it’s nice that relationships with McCarthy are already paying off, as the Steelers were able to bring in a solid depth safety in Brisker, who also gets to put on for his city.
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