Yardbarker
x
Coby Bryant may have unintentionally put the Chicago Bears in hot water with the league after recent interview
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Coby Bryant may have unintentionally put the Chicago Bears in hot water with the league after recent interview

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Kole Noble  |  Last updated Mar 19, 2026 4:24 PM ET

The Chicago Bears moved quick when the legal tampering period opened last week, marking the unofficial start to free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $40 million contract with former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant.

It's clear he was a player the team had a high grade on going into free agency and felt he was someone that could upgrade the safety position under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

"When we watched Coby’s tape he was a guy that got us excited," Bears general manager Ryan Poles explained. "Because again, he played our style of ball, he played fast, he played physically. Those are the things that (Dennis Allen) is looking for, that we’re looking for. We thought there was leadership there. He’s young and we had to adapt to that and we had the opportunity to bring a really good player in and that’s the decision that we made.”

However, the Bears might have gotten too excited about adding Bryant to the squad and jumped the gun when it came to reaching out to him.

Coby Bryant reveals how quickly the Bears moved to sign him in free agency

"Just the sense of being wanted," Bryant said when asked why he chose the Bears by Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show. "They called me at 7:00 a.m., I'm in Arizona so they called me pretty early. I had just woken up. That struck it right there, honestly. Just being wanted and them pursuing to get me over there... I was just waking up, so I was still kind of asleep at the time. It was just them telling me how much they want me to be there, what I can bring to the team, just being a leader for the team as well too. I already saw what they were building from Day 1 with the team last year with Ben [Johnson] and Caleb Williams, and all those guys. Definitely special and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Timing here is interesting. Bryant's deal with Chicago was first announced last Monday, not long after the legal tampering period started at 12:00 ET, which would have been 9:00 ET in Arizona. It'd be weird for an agent to agree to a deal and then the team waits days before reaching out, unless the Bears called Bryant earlier than the rules allow.

So, it's worth questioning what day the Bears called Bryant because if they called at 7:00 a.m. in Arizona last Monday, that would have been before the legal tampering period opened. In fact, prior to 2026, teams could only talk directly to agents during the legal tampering period and can't talk to players until the start of free agency, which was Wednesday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

"Teams cannot communicate with players directly during the legal tampering period -- all contact must go through the player's agent. If a team wants to meet with a player or speak with him directly, it must wait until free agency is officially underway.

If the NFL finds out that a team has started negotiating prior to the legal tampering period or contacted a player too early, it can punish the organization in the form of fines or even removal of draft picks."

Starting this offseason, the NFL did allow teams to conduct a one-hour video or phone call (such as via Zoom) with up to five unrestricted free agents during the legal tampering period. But, those calls could only be conducted starting at noon ET last Monday.

Since Bryant didn't clarify what day the Bears contacted him, this could be something the league looks into further. If the call in question was before the legal tampering period opened, the Bears could be fined or lose draft picks, similar to what happened to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!