- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,131,224
- Reaction score
- 59
The Chicago Bears are adding a Super Bowl champion to their secondary. The Bears are signing safety Coby Bryant to a three-year deal. The news was first reported by CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones. Bryant's deal is worth $40 million, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The deal cannot be officially announced until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Bryant was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft as a cornerback but moved to safety prior to the 2024 season and began taking the ball away at an impressive rate. Bryant totaled seven picks over the last two years and was an integral part of their run to Super Bowl LIX.
With no safeties currently on the roster, the Bears needed to make a move to shore up the position and are taking a big swing with Bryant. Here is our initial grade of the expected signing.
There are very few moves in free agency that earn an A letter grade from me, but the signing of Coby Bryant has me very excited for the future of the Bears' secondary. Bryant was decent as a cornerback for the first couple years in the league but has flourished as a safety since 2024. Over the last two seasons, Bryant's interceptions increased while his opposing passing totals decreased.
After totaling no interceptions at cornerback, Bryant notched seven as a safety. His opposing passer rating dropped from 100 in 2023 to 54 in 2025; his completion percentage was 59% last season, and he allowed just one touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. To compare, Kevin Byard allowed an opposing passer rating of 98.7 despite notching seven picks and allowed a completion percentage of 63.5%. Not to mention Bryant is far younger than Byard and is just entering his prime.
Bryant's price tag doesn't break the bank, either. He is set to count just over $6 million against the cap in 2026 with $12 million coming as a signing bonus, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson. That's not a bad structure and gives the Bears flexibility this season while also landing one of the premier safeties on the market.
As far as his fit goes with the Bears, this signing has Dennis Allen's fingerprints all over it. The defensive coordinator loves to move defensive backs around, and the unit was at its best when he could deploy Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker as chess pieces together. We got a glimpse of that during the divisional round loss against the Los Angeles Rams. With Bryant in the fold, expect to see even more unique packages, even if he primarily plays the free safety position. He and Gordon (assuming he's healthy) could be a nightmare duo for offenses to deal with next year. For what it's worth, Bryant was stellar this past postseason, totaling 10 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
It feels as if Bryant is just now hitting his stride and his best football is in front of him. This signing should turn out to be one of Poles' best during his tenure as Bears general manager.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Bears signing DB Coby Bryant
Continue reading...
Bryant was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft as a cornerback but moved to safety prior to the 2024 season and began taking the ball away at an impressive rate. Bryant totaled seven picks over the last two years and was an integral part of their run to Super Bowl LIX.
With no safeties currently on the roster, the Bears needed to make a move to shore up the position and are taking a big swing with Bryant. Here is our initial grade of the expected signing.
Signing details
- Three years, $40 million
Initial grade: A
There are very few moves in free agency that earn an A letter grade from me, but the signing of Coby Bryant has me very excited for the future of the Bears' secondary. Bryant was decent as a cornerback for the first couple years in the league but has flourished as a safety since 2024. Over the last two seasons, Bryant's interceptions increased while his opposing passing totals decreased.
After totaling no interceptions at cornerback, Bryant notched seven as a safety. His opposing passer rating dropped from 100 in 2023 to 54 in 2025; his completion percentage was 59% last season, and he allowed just one touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. To compare, Kevin Byard allowed an opposing passer rating of 98.7 despite notching seven picks and allowed a completion percentage of 63.5%. Not to mention Bryant is far younger than Byard and is just entering his prime.
Bryant's price tag doesn't break the bank, either. He is set to count just over $6 million against the cap in 2026 with $12 million coming as a signing bonus, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson. That's not a bad structure and gives the Bears flexibility this season while also landing one of the premier safeties on the market.
As far as his fit goes with the Bears, this signing has Dennis Allen's fingerprints all over it. The defensive coordinator loves to move defensive backs around, and the unit was at its best when he could deploy Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker as chess pieces together. We got a glimpse of that during the divisional round loss against the Los Angeles Rams. With Bryant in the fold, expect to see even more unique packages, even if he primarily plays the free safety position. He and Gordon (assuming he's healthy) could be a nightmare duo for offenses to deal with next year. For what it's worth, Bryant was stellar this past postseason, totaling 10 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
It feels as if Bryant is just now hitting his stride and his best football is in front of him. This signing should turn out to be one of Poles' best during his tenure as Bears general manager.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Bears signing DB Coby Bryant
Continue reading...
