Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant remains on the sideline for now, and Ben Johnson still isn’t ready to pin down a comeback date.
Bryant has been out since Aug. 7 with a left knee injury, and while Johnson said earlier that the goal is to get him back sometime this season, the latest update makes clear he’s not close to game action yet. Bryant did show up around the team during the recent win, which at least offers some encouragement, but the coaching staff is still waiting on the real test.
“He's on track,” said Johnson when asked the status of Coby Bryant. “I think in the near future here, we're going to start with some on-land running.
But we're still a little ways away from him doing the change of direction stuff. And that's really going to be the stress test with him: being able to really push down on that knee and change direction at a high velocity.
So, that's still a little ways away.”
Johnson also said the team is keeping the timeline open-ended for now.
“I think we're going to keep that vague at the moment,” Johnson added about the timeline to return.
When pressed on whether Bryant might be back closer to December or February, Johnson didn’t give a firm answer, though that was the range he mentioned in training camp when the injury first happened.
“From what I understand, he's right on track. He's working his tail off.
I love seeing him in the building. He's around these guys all the time.
Really, over the next month, that'll go a long way to see whether we can get them back this year or not.”
That means the next several weeks should tell the story. Chicago is still waiting for a clearer read on whether Bryant can return this season, and with the trade deadline approaching, his comeback could end up being the biggest internal boost the Bears get.
The safety picture has been in flux all season alongside rookie Dillon Thieneman, and Bryant was supposed to settle that spot after signing a three-year, $40 million deal in free agency this offseason. That was the plan: add a steady presence next to the rookie and stabilize the back end.
Thieneman has held up well in his NFL debut, but if Bryant can get back, Chicago’s defense should look a lot cleaner. Some of the blown coverages and secondary issues should ease up, and Thieneman’s development would be better positioned to keep moving forward instead of hitting a wall.
For now, though, the Bears are still waiting. And Bryant’s status remains one worth tracking closely.
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