As the NFL's free agency period opened up with legal tampering, the Chicago Bears started to address the defensive side of the ball, just as fans had wanted and expected.
One of those signings came when Chicago agreed to terms with Seattle Seahawks free agent safety Coby Bryant.
For fans who may not be following as close, Bryant was one of the better free agents availalbe in this year's class, regardless of position. He even made his way into the top-30 of some experts' free agent big boards.
Bryant certainly fills a need, but at the same time, his contract answers a big question. Bryant's deal with the Bears is for three years and $40 million, as reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
At the moment, Bryant's annual average hovers around making him the 12th-highest paid safety in football, and that's nowhere near a number Poles was willing to go for the oft-injured Jaquan Brisker.
Not even close.
Coby Bryant's Bears contract details answer the question no one was asking
While one of the big questions, this offseason, had to do with the future of the aforementioned Brisker, that's not the question we're asking here. Sure, Bryant's arrival does indeed signal the end of the road for Brisker in Chicago.
But, fans weren't necessarily expecting Ryan Poles to spend top dollar on a safety. Most of the fan base expected either one of Kevin Byard or Brisker to stay with the Bears. But, no one was really asking, "How much will Poles spend on a safety?"
A lot of fans wanted to see this team go after a safety in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft (and they still could) but the question of spending up on a safety didn't seem too high on their minds.
Instead, the questions came all around the defensive line. Many fans wanted Poles to shell out top dollar for the likes of Trey Hendrickson, or a Maxx Crosby trade, for example. Heck, even looking at signing Tyler Linderbaum was an option at one point, before the Raiders gave him the bag.
Bryant's arrival and contract, specifically, proves Poles was serious about fixing key areas of this defense. I don't think anyone had the Bears paying a safety over $13 million per year, but the 26-year-old Bryant comes in during the thick of his prime and ready to make an instant impact.
Now the only question is, at the moment, who Bryant will be lining up beside at the other safety spot. Stay tuned.