There is a bit of a learning curve for new Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant as he enters the first year of his three-year contract and tries to adapt to the culture that head coach Ben Johnson has built.
Bryant seems to be fitting in well with the Bears, bringing the defense the new energy it has needed. There is something the veteran safety is learning, and he is focused on mirroring the intensity Johnson brings to the team as well.
"He’s filled with fire, honestly," Bryant said via ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "He’s an offensive guy too, but we have a lot of similarities. That’s why I’m here as well. He’s a true competitor. Every day he competes. He likes us talking junk to him and vice versa. He talks junk to us, too. I’ll match his energy every day and vice versa."
Coby Bryant seems to be a perfect fit for Ben Johnson's culture
Last year, Johnson had a lot of work to do with the franchise's culture, making sure they left the loser mentality of years past behind and focused on winning. The tone was set early at minicamp, when Johnson was not afraid to yell in quarterback Caleb Williams' face, proving he was going to coach anybody hard, no matter who the player is.
While this kind of culture is not for everyone, Bryant seems to fit like a glove as he doesn't mind that. He's the same kind of intensity that Johnson is looking for in his players. Plus, coming from a Super Bowl champion team in the Seattle Seahawks, Bryant knows what a winning culture looks like.
The Bears showed last season that they are bought into Johnson's culture after going 11-6, winning the NFC North, and beating the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Those are important building blocks that were put together in 2025, but the Bears have to find a way to sustain that success and turn it into the Lombardi Trophy coming home to Chicago.
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That's where Bryant comes in to help the Bears out with that, which could be one of the final pieces to the puzzle the Bears needed.
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