Bears’ Coby Bryant To Miss Extensive Time

The Bears will not have the FA addition until well into the regular season, it appears, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting an injury sustained at Monday’s practice is expected to sideline him beyond Week 1. A hyperextended knee, bone bruise and small fracture sustained today is set to shelve Bryant for eight to 10 weeks, per Schefter.

This timeline could make Bryant an IR-return candidate. Teams have two such slots to use when setting their 53-man rosters each August. With an early-October return point perhaps the best-case scenario here, the Bears could proceed this way and save a roster spot. That would keep Bryant out of action for at least four games. Chicago could otherwise leave Bryant on its 53-man roster and go week to week to open the season, as the team is thin at safety after losing both its 2025 starters.

PFR’s No. 28-ranked free agent, Bryant signed a three-year, $40MM deal that brought $25.75MM at signing. He and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman are slated to replace departing first-stringers Kevin Byard (Patriots) and Jaquan Brisker (Steelers). Chicago turned to ex-Buffalo cog Cam Lewis after Bryant went down, per ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin, who notes the former Bills backup had been working in the slot while Kyler Gordon continues a rehab process.

Gordon began camp on the Bears’ active/PUP list; he is recovering from a calf injury that kept him off the field him during OTAs and minicamp. Gordon is the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot cornerback, and he missed most of last season due to a multiple injuries. The former second-round pick sustained a hamstring injury before last season, and calf and groin trouble led to separate in-season IR placements. Gordon played just three regular-season games last year.

“A little bit of a repetitive situation that we’ve got to get fixed,” GM Ryan Poles said (via Cronin) of Gordon. “And then when he gets back, he’s going to have to earn that trust back and that dependability, because we’ve got to put all the guys in a good position to be successful, and the up-and-down moving guys around is really tough, so he’ll have to earn that back when he gets back.”

The Bears dealt with multiple starters’ absences for much of last season, with Jaylon Johnson also sitting for a chunk of the campaign. Bryant only missed two games last season, reemerging to start each of Seattle’s three playoff contests en route to the team’s Super Bowl LX victory. The Seahawks lost Bryant, converted corner, and Riq Woolen in free agency while retaining cornerback Josh Jobe.

Chicago added C.J. Gardner-Johnson after injuries struck early last season. While the renowned trash talker is no longer available, 2025 starters Donovan Wilson, Xavier Woods and Taylor Rapp are unsigned. Jabrill Peppers and Jimmie Ward, the latter having missed all of last season, are also available. The Steelers also released safety/slot player Darnell Savage on Sunday.