The Chicago Bears walked into training camp with a clear problem in the secondary: Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard were gone, and with Byard in particular, they lost the kind of steady voice that can anchor a defense. Early signs out of camp suggest they may already have found someone willing to fill that space.
Bears pundit Mark Carman noted that in the first two days of training camp, offseason addition Coby Bryant looked like he was stepping into a leadership role for Dennis Allen’s defense. For a unit trying to sort itself out after those departures, that’s exactly the kind of development Chicago needed to see right away.
Bryant brings more than just energy. He spent the 2025 season with the Seattle Seahawks and was part of an impressive Super Bowl run, putting together a season that included four interceptions, 48 tackles and a forced fumble. Those numbers tell the story of a defender who attacks the football and plays with an edge.
That edge matters for a Bears secondary that may have to do some heavy lifting if depth issues up front become a problem. Bryant’s willingness to step in as a tone-setter gives Chicago something tangible to build on, especially with Dillon Thieneman also in the mix and expected to work through the usual growing pains that come with adjusting to the next level.
Just as encouraging for the Bears is that Bryant doesn’t look like a player coasting after a championship. Winning a Super Bowl and then cashing in during free agency can change a player’s approach, but Bryant has stayed locked in and has been working to make his teammates better throughout camp.
Chicago’s biggest remaining questions in the secondary are tied to health, especially at cornerback, where injuries over the last three seasons have created uncertainty around each of the Bears’ starters. That only raises the value of a calm, experienced presence on the back end.
So far, Bryant is giving them exactly that. For a Bears defense trying to find its footing, the early return on this addition is hard to miss.
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