The Chicago Bears decided to move on from both of their starting safeties and bring in two completely new names. While the move is risky, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated argues that it will work out well for the team.Â
"Poles replaced a first-team All-Pro with a rookie, and a stalwart with a signing. Sounds risky, but the moves are well-positioned to work."Matt Verderam
Chicago Bears Upgraded the Safety Position in 2026
When you phrase it like that, it sounds more concerning. Under the surface, both moves make plenty of sense. First, replacing a stalwart with a signing is a bit of hyperbole. Jaquan Brisker was anything but a stalwart for the Bears.Â
Brisker missed four starts in his first two seasons, and his second season was riddled with little issues that would hold him out of games. In 2024, he only played five games. The 2025 season might have been his best, but the defensive coaches who drafted and developed him were no longer on the team.Â
The defensive coaches who inherited him saw an injury-prone player who did not step up. Brisker signed a one-year. $5.5M contract in free agency. That is because no one trusted him to be a starter. That is not a stalwart by any definition.Â
Meanwhile, Coby Bryant signed for three years, and $40M. That is $13.3M per year, so a significant increase from Brisker. Every single NFL decision-maker agreed that Brisker was worth nothing close to Bryant.Â
In fact, even though Kevin Byard was an All-Pro, he did not even make the salary of Bryant. At 33 years old, his 2025 was viewed as a flash. It was also heavy on interceptions and not as much on quality play. So, he signed a one-year, $7M deal in free agency.Â
Combined, Brisker and Byard signed for $12.5M per year. So, either the Bears severely overpaid Bryant, or everyone in the NFL agrees that this is an upgrade no matter how you look at it.
If you view Bryant as a younger upgrade over Byard, and you view Dillon Thieneman as the replacement for Brisker, it is easy to digest.
The market agrees that Bryant is a big upgrade, and considering Brisker had injury questions and was not a fit for this defense, the rookie addition might not be a notable drop-off. When you consider the draft pedigree of Thieneman, it is easy to understand that this room is significantly better.
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