New Bears addition Coby Bryant 'just scratching the surface' as an NFL safety

Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune on Mar 14, 2026

Published in Football

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CHICAGO — Ryan Poles knew he got a good one.

Not because of what he saw on tape — although that told the same story. No, this was because of the texts and phone calls that flooded in after the Bears signed former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant.

“Anytime you bring a player in and your phones go off — coaches, front office — on how pissed off Seattle was not having him back and how fortunate we are to have a guy like this in our building, that’s what you want to hear and that’s exactly what happened,” Poles said. “So we’re fired up.”

The Bears signed Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract this week, making him one of the highlights in a free-agent class that Poles hopes significantly improves the team’s speed on defense.

Bryant spent his first four NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and is fresh off winning Super Bowl LX. He brings a winning pedigree to Chicago, which is good because he has big shoes to fill.

The Bears signed Bryant as veteran safety Kevin Byard III — who led the NFL with seven interceptions last season — exits. Byard signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the New England Patriots. He reunites with Mike Vrabel, a coach he played for when he was with the Tennessee Titans.

Byard, 32, not only led the NFL in interceptions last season, but he was also a team captain and a key voice in the locker room. Losing him will hurt the Bears on the field and off.

“That’s what makes this part of the year difficult,” Poles said when asked of Byard. “You have certain plans with the guys you’d like to have back. And you’re kind of seeing how the landscape is going to set up.

“And as you do your research, when we watched Coby’s tape, he was a guy who got us excited because we felt like he played our style of ball. He played fast. He played physical. Those are the things that (defensive coordinator Dennis Allen) is looking for, that we’re looking for.”

The Bears are betting on Bryant, who turns 27 on March 29, being a staple in their secondary for the next several years. The Cleveland native — who was named after late NBA star Kobe Bryant — played cornerback at Cincinnati before the Seahawks drafted him with a fourth-round pick in 2022. He was fresh off winning the Jim Thorpe Award in 2021 as college football’s top defensive back.

Bryant played the nickel cornerback spot in 2023, but a toe injury limited him to nine games. The following offseason, the Seahawks replaced coach Pete Carroll with up-and-coming defensive guru Mike Macdonald. The new coaching staff transitioned Bryant to safety.

“The biggest thing was communication, the open-field tackling,” Bryant said of the position change. “That’s something I can always continue to get better on too. It was a big challenge, but I knew I could do it and it set my career up to be how it is and continues to get better.”

Over two seasons as a safety in Macdonald’s system, Bryant appeared in 32 regular-season games and totaled seven interceptions. He became an integral part of what would become one of the best defenses in the NFL, a defense that would carry the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title.

In a sense, Bryant said he feels like he’s still learning the safety position. He has played only two seasons as a safety.

“I’m just scratching the surface,” Bryant said. “It’s only year two of playing safety. I’m still young. … But definitely, I’m excited to be here.”

It has been a near-complete overhaul of the safety position for the Bears. In addition to Byard, starter Jaquan Brisker and backup Jonathan Owens have signed elsewhere in free agency — Brisker with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Owens with the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears re-signed backup Elijah Hicks, who is also a special teams contributor.

The safety position is going to look quite different in 2026. The Bears also signed defensive back Cam Lewis, who can play multiple positions. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them target a safety with one of their top picks in the NFL draft next month either.

But Bryant is going to be the centerpiece for the safety position, and he adds the speed Poles was looking for.

“He plays fast,” Poles said. “Instincts jump off the tape. His ability to anticipate. We’re looking for guys that are passionate about ball. You can see that in his body language and how he moves.”