Pittsburgh Steelers sign DB Jaquan Brisker

Jaquan Brisker's one-year, $5.5M signing earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling valuation that reflects genuine depth value hampered by durability concerns and a modest investment window. At $5.5M AAV on a prove-it deal, the Steelers are getting a low-cost gamble on a safety with upside pedigree but a track record of missing time — the single-year structure itself signals organizational skepticism about long-term availability. The salary sits squarely in the journeyman starter-to-solid backup range, positioning Brisker as depth insurance rather than a cornerstone piece, which aligns with Pittsburgh's offseason philosophy of plugging holes without committing long-term capital. From a value standpoint, the CVI reflects a reasonable risk-reward calculus: if Brisker stays healthy, the team gets a capable defensive back on a below-market rate; if injury strikes again, it's a sunk $5.5M with minimal dead-cap bleed in future years. The one-year pact is the Steelers' explicit hedge — they're not betting his next three seasons will be clean, only that 2026 might yield enough reps to evaluate him before bigger decisions loom. As an offseason move in Pittsburgh's window, this is precisely the kind of low-floor, moderate-upside signing that doesn't reshape the defense but addresses roster depth without tying up resources into the 2027 cap year.