Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has faced criticism this offseason for not making a splash move to acquire an edge rusher, prompting some to question him.
One signing he made in free agency that did not get any questions about is the Bears bringing in safety Coby Bryant on a three-year, $40 million contract. Sports Illustrated ranked the move as the 25th-best free agent signing of the 2026 offseason.
"The second-highest paid safety this offseason, Bryant joins the Bears fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks. Bryant had seven interceptions over the past two seasons and will join a Chicago secondary that paced the league in that category in 2025."
Ryan Poles is proven correct with the Coby Bryant signing being ranked 25th
Last year in Seattle, 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. During the Super Bowl championship run, he had 10 tackles and two pass deflections.
The Bears were desperate for a safety with starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leaving for other teams in free agency. Bryant now takes over and will be seen as a leader on that defense, with the hopes that he can take his championship experience and apply it to a defense that needs it.
Chicago's defense was in the bottom 10 in many categories despite being number one in takeaways with 33. They need someone who can help them make tackles and get offenses off the field before they get into field-goal range, not just stop them in the red zone.
Poles knew that while Byard and Brisker were good players, he needed a safety like Bryant, who is young like Brisker and can create turnovers like Byard. That perfect combination will help the Bears give them a starter for the next three years to lean on.
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People can question Poles' decisions all they want, but everyone seems to be a fan of the Bears signing Bryant and improving that defense.