In an austere offseason, Coby Bryant was the splurge.
The Bears bet big on him, letting all-pro safety Kevin Byard and four-year starter Jaquan Brisker leave this offseason and giving him a three-year, $40 million deal.
The safety had been where the Bears want to go — the Super Bowl. He had what Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen decided they needed most — speed. And his addition made the Bears more comfortable drafting a first-round safety, Dillon Thieneman, to pair with him.
It took less than an hour of first day of padded practice Monday for all that to crumble. Bryant hyperextended his left knee, suffering a bone bruise and a small break that will keep him out 8-10 weeks.
The cascading effect of the injury gives the Bears a problem to solve. Or, rather, many problems.
It will take creativity from Allen and flexibility from the players.
“I mean I think that’s all of our jobs,” Allen said Tuesday. “I think that’s the coaches’ job, I think that’s the players’ job. You know nothing ever goes exactly how you planned, right? You have to be able to adjust.”
Life after Bryant will be nothing new for Allen. He’s entering his second season as the Bears’ defensive coordinator and has still never held a single training camp practice with his starting defensive backs healthy. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson hurt his groin training in the weeks before camp began last year. Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was out most of last season, began this year’s training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a calf injury.
Then there’s Thieneman, the rookie whose transition to the NFL was supposed to be eased by the very presence of Bryant. Allen said the Bears won’t “put any higher expectations” on the first-round pick with Bryant gone. His absence, though, risks stunting Thieneman’s growth. That’s the most alarming possibility among the many consequences of Bryant’s injury.
“We’ve got Dillon that’s gonna have big big shoes to fill,” linebacker Devin Bush said. “Him being a rookie … he’s got to come up to speed.”
Bryant’s injury is a Gordon problem, too. Bears coaches have been annoyed for months by Gordon’s slow recovery. When he wasn’t healthy enough to start camp, the Bears were forced to play safety Cam Lewis, whom they signed away from the Bills in March, at slot cornerback. Lewis played 145 of his 373 defensive snaps in the slot last year — and the rest at safety. His versatility was his greatest strength. Now Lewis will be penciled into a starting safety position opposite Thieneman.
That could change, though, if safety Elijah Hicks returns after starting training camp on PUP with shin pain. General manager Ryan Poles expected a quick recovery for Hicks, who started seven games in 2024 when Brisker was concussed. The Bears added depth Tuesday by signing safety Marlen Sewell, who won a brief look from the Chiefs coming out of their tryout camp. For now, at least, the Bears are unlikely to try to trade for help at the position.
With Lewis at safety, veteran Jaylon Jones, the team’s third-string slot cornerback, played with the starters during Tuesday’s practice. Special teams ace Josh Blackwell can play in the slot, too, but the Bears coaching staff rarely used him last year when injuries ravaged his position. He played just three defensive snaps. Fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad is learning how to play the nickel position but has a long way to go.
Playing the slot is different than being outside. To react quickly, you need to know where to keep your eyes. That takes practice.
“If you put your eyes in the right spot,” Allen said, “you have a chance to be right.”
And many more chances to be wrong.
