Coming into training camp, the Chicago Bears had an undeniable void to fill after losing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard to free agency. Byard was clearly a defensive leader during his time with the Bears, and it was fair to wonder where the franchise might find this same energy moving into the 2026 season. Bears pundit Mark Carman helped answer this, noting that in the first two days of training camp, it appeared that offseason addition Coby Bryant appeared to be taking on a leadership role for the defense of Dennis Allen.
It is exciting to see the changes that were made are already having a positive impact, as Bryant isn't hesitating to step into the obvious void left by the departure of Byard. The defender spent the 2025 season with the Seattle Seahawks, helping fuel an impressive Super Bowl run. There simply is no way around how impressive of a season it was, with four interceptions, 48 tackles, and a forced fumble pointing to the willingness to attack the football.
Bryant's presence will help the Bears embrace a level of physicality the secondary is going to need to overcome depth concerns when it comes to the front seven. Having Bryant already embracing a leadership role is telling and the exact level of investment the Bears need from the Super Bowl champ. Bryant needs to be a tone setter alongside Dillon Thieneman, who will undeniably experience growing pains adjusting to the next level.
Bears Already Have Reason to be Impressed with Coby Bryant's Contributions
It is also incredibly exciting to see that the Super Bowl champion doesn't appear to be dealing with any type of hangover from a season ago. If there was ever a reason to take your foot off the gas just a bit, it would be winning a Super Bowl and instantly cashing in during free agency. Bryant clearly doesn't have this approach, remaining locked in and working ot make his teammates better throughout camp.
For the Bears, the biggest questions remaining in the secondary are now the health of its starters. This is especially the case at the corner position, where consistent injuries over the last three seasons have left some level of questions for each of Chicago's starters.
With this in mind, Bryant's presence is even more important as a calming force on the back end that can help erase any potential mistakes. This is exactly the start the Bears were hoping for from a safety embracing his new role on a roster hoping to follow in the path of the Seahawks from a season ago.
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