It was the news every Chicago Bears fans expected to hear, but safety Coby Bryant is officially on IR.
Bryant and undrafted rookie tight end Hayden Large were included on the IR to start the season. The good news is that this isn't a season-ending IR, so the hope is that both guys can return at some point this season. For now, Bryant's timeline is four to six months.
Chicago also announced that defensive tackle James Lynch and linebacker Jack Sanborn have joined the 53-man roster to replace them. The Bears also signed 14 players to the practice squad, so the team is almost complete. Even with that mostly figured out, questions remain about the secondary.
What's next for the Bears after Coby Bryant being placed on IR?
Again, this wouldn't catch anyone off guard with Bryant on IR, but now the Bears have to get something done on defense. Their secondary got much weaker without Bryant in the picture.
This defense ranked 22nd against the pass last year, allowing 227.2 yards per game. Chicago lost many of their original starters and backups in the secondary last year. Five key players, to be exact.
At safety, it appears that it will be Xavier Woods or Cam Lewis taking over that spot. Lewis and Woods have years of starting NFL experience, so the Bears at least have guys they can trust. The problem is that these two don't play at the same level that Bryant does.
Bryant's injury created a major wrinkle in the secondary, especially with other concerns in the group. Lewis could play nickel this season, with starting corner Kyler Gordon hurt and no one really knowing what's going on with his soft-tissue injury. Instead, the Bears might be rolling out rookie Malik Muhammad at nickel to start the season, and potentially the whole year.
There are a ton of questions about this secondary for the second straight season, with two starters hurt and no one knowing when they will be back. The Bears are leaning on older veterans and rookies to step up for guys who should be cornerstone pieces of the roster.
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With this mystery being very real, Bears fans will have to wait and see how this secondary looks in 2026. The hope is that Bryant will be back before the end of the season, but fans shouldn't hold their breath for that.
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