Free agency can be a wild time for NFL players who can sign elsewhere, but for new Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant, his decision was pretty simple.
Bryant signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears, landing the most expensive deal among the free agents who signed with Chicago. While appearing on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, Bryant shared what the Bears did that convinced him that Chicago was the right place to sign with.
"Just the sense of being wanted honestly. They called me at 7:00 am. I'm in Arizona, so they called me pretty early, which I had just woken up, and you know that struck it honestly. Like I say just being wanted and them pursuing to get me over there. It wasn't easy, obviously being in Seattle for four years, but ultimately I'm blessed, and that's what led me to Chicago."
One phone call convinced Coby Bryant to sign with the Bears
Bryant was a fourth-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2022, as it took until 2024 for him to get a full-time starting job with the team. In 58 career games, he racked up 227 tackles, 17 pass deflections, nine tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, seven interceptions, seven forced fumbles, two sacks, and a pick-six.
While he might not have gotten the amount of tackles that would hit his career-high, Bryant had the best season of his career as he had career-highs in pass deflections (seven), tackles for loss (four), and interceptions (four). He played a key role in helping Seattle win the Super Bowl with 10 tackles and two pass deflections in three playoff games.
Bryant is having a pretty good 2026 year, as it started with a Super Bowl and now it's landing a massive contract. What appealed to him about Chicago was what the team is building to reach the Seahawks' level, and that initial phone call convinced him he's a key piece of that puzzle.
"I was just waking up, so I was still kind of asleep at the time, but just them telling me how much they want me to be there, what I can bring to the team, just being a leader for the team as well, too. I already seen what they were building from Day 1, what the team last year too with Ben (Johnson) and Caleb Williams and all them guys is definitely going to be special, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
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Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are out the door, so that leaves the safety position to Bryant to step up and be a leader from the moment he steps on the field. The Bears are hoping to have something special in him for the next three years.