During the offseason, it was clear that the best move the Chicago Bears made was signing former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning safety Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract.
The Bears had already lost safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency and had no plans of re-signing either guy, so it made sense to bring in Bryant. Chicago's new 27-year-old safety played a massive role in helping the Seahawks bring home the Lombardi Trophy.
ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler finished up his league survey series, speaking to executives, coaches, and scouts about the best players at each position. Fowler tackled the safeties, and while Bryant did not make the top 10, he was 14th, with one coordinator praising him.
"I love him. He's a corner by trade, so he has good feet and ball skills, but he will hit, too, now."
Coby Bryant is exactly what the Bears need after high praise
Last season, Bryant had 66 tackles, seven pass deflections, four tackles for loss, a career-high four interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 15 games. He also racked up 10 tackles and two pass deflections in the postseason.
Bryant has received praise for being able to do it all from the safety position. His coverage skills and play recognition have separated him from most of the safeties in the NFL. From laying those big hits to breaking up the pass, Bryant is exactly what the Bears needed.
Last year, this Bears defense led the NFL with 33 turnovers, which is great, but a deeper problem was being covered. This same unit was allowing 361.8 yards per game, ranking 29th in the NFL in that category. While it was more about the run defense, their secondary wasn't helping much, as the Bears were ranked 22nd in pass defense, allowing 227.2 per game.
This is where new additions like Bryant, fellow safety and rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman, and linebacker Devin Bush are really going to help this defense out. Particularly with Bryant and Thieneman, they will be able to create stops in the secondary and the rushing attack. Even though they may not create as many turnovers as Byard and Brisker were able to, they will be more consistent in coverage.
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The Bears are better off where they are right now because they brought Bryant to the Windy City. This defense should slowly but surely show improvement as the 2026 season plays out.
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