The Seattle Seahawks‘ front office faced some tough calls this offseason, leading to the departure of several contributors from their Super Bowl LX-winning roster, including Coby Bryant.
Bryant later landed with the Chicago Bears, agreeing to a three-year, $40 million deal, according to ESPN. Across four seasons in Seattle, he appeared in 58 games and put up 153 solo tackles, 74 assists, 2.0 sacks, and seven interceptions, per StatMuse.
Moreover, the Bears are earning praise for taking advantage of the Seahawks’ decision to let Bryant walk as a free agent. FOX Sports NFL reporter Eric Williams put out his Top 10 list of under-the-radar signings from the offseason.
“The Cincinnati product emerged as a part-time role player at cornerback in his first two years with the Seattle Seahawks, into a full-time starter at safety who helped propel one of the best defenses in the league to a Super Bowl,” Williams wrote in an article published on March 27.
“Bryant is a versatile playmaker who is a sure tackler in the running game and should help solidify a defense that lost safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency.”
Coby Bryant Faces High Expectations Heading Into Year 1 in Chicago
Heading into his first season with Chicago, former NFL player Clay Harbor shared his expectation for the former Seahawks defensive back.
“When you replace an All‑Pro, you’re making top‑15 money, you can’t just fit into the defense,” Harbor said in a March 21 video from his X account. “You’ve got to change the defense. You need splash plays. You’ve got to be able to make the defense more versatile [and] you’ve got to handle the tight ends and make sure there are no mismatch problems.
“You’ve got to be able to come down from the deep safety position to stop the run [and] you’ve got to make this whole defense more versatile, and you’ve got to become a leader because you’re replacing a leader. So I think those are the things that you’ve got to expect.”
Coby Bryant Would Like Bears to Face Seahawks in Week 1
The Seahawks know the opponents they’ll face in the 2026 NFL season, but they don’t yet know the exact schedule. Nonetheless, Bryant is telling the league’s schedule makers that he would like to play his old team in Week 1.
On March 19, Bryant appeared on “Up & Adams” and said the Bears will play the Seahawks this upcoming season, noting he would like his new team to head to Seattle in Week 1 to spoil the celebrations.
“Every game’s a meaningful game, but I wouldn’t mind honestly starting the season off out there [against the Seahawks],” Bryant told Adams. “Weather would be nice; the whole world will be watching.”
Moreover, Bryant believes his new team will be up to face the Seahawks regardless of where the NFL decides to schedule this game.
“I’m always motivated,” Bryant noted. “I know [Bears head coach Ben Johnson] will be too, and Caleb [Williams] and the rest of the team will be. Like I said, we’re building something special over there, and I’m excited.”
Bears Draw Blunt Take After Signing Coby Bryant From Seahawks