Chicago’s Defensive Overhaul: High Stakes and Missing Pieces in the Secondary

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears allowed a staggering 361.8 yards per game in 2025, finishing 29th in total defense and leaving fans wondering how a team with the league’s most takeaways could still feel so vulnerable. One week into free agency, General Manager Ryan Poles has answered that frustration with a wrecking ball. The defense that walked off the field in Los Angeles last January is gone, replaced by a high-priced veteran core and a secondary that currently looks like a construction zone.

The $40 Million Gamble on Versatility

Chicago didn’t just add a safety; they bought a centerpiece. By signing Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal, the Bears are betting that the former Seahawk can stabilize a backfield that surrendered 32 passing touchdowns last season. Bryant brings a Super Bowl ring and a knack for the ball, but he arrives as the house is being emptied around him. The team’s decision to release linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and watch Jaquan Brisker bolt to Pittsburgh for a modest $5.5 million has left the locker room reeling from a lack of familiar faces.

The most head-scratching move remains the departure of Nahshon Wright. After a breakout 2025 campaign that saw Wright lead the NFL with eight takeaways and earn a Pro Bowl nod, the Bears let him walk to the Jets for pennies on the dollar. Losing that kind of ball-hawking production in a Dennis Allen scheme—where takeaways are the primary currency—is a risk that could backfire by Week 1. While the team added Cam Lewis to fill the “Swiss Army Knife” role left by CJ Gardner-Johnson, Lewis has never been a full-time starter in his six-year career. The pressure on Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to carry this unit has never been higher.

“The 2025 rankings were a gut punch. We led the league in takeaways but couldn’t get off the field on third down. This refresh isn’t about talent—it’s about fit. We’re building a unit that plays Dennis Allen’s brand of football, even if the names on the jerseys take some getting used to.”
— Ben Johnson, Bears Head Coach

Playoff Implications / What’s Next

The Bears are currently holding a defensive roster that is heavy on rotational talent like Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street but dangerously thin at the top of the depth chart. By letting veteran safety Kevin Byard sign with New England for $9 million, Chicago signaled a total commitment to youth and “their guys.” However, unless Ryan Poles uses his 2026 draft capital to snag a Day 1 starter at cornerback, the Bears will be forced to rely on Tyrique Stevenson—who ended last season on the bench—or an untested Zah Frazier.

The 2026 season hinges on whether this “refresh” actually improves the 29th-ranked yardage totals or if the loss of Pro Bowl-caliber playmakers like Wright and Brisker creates a hole too deep to fill. The Bears have the cap space to make one more move, and they’d be wise to look at the remaining veteran market before the draft board becomes their only lifeline.