The Seattle Seahawks entered the offseason with some clear goals after taking down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Anytime you win a championship, you typically want to keep as many players in town as possible. For the most part, the Seahawks have managed to do that, but one guy they were unable to hang onto was safety Coby Bryant.
After turning himself into a key piece of Seattle’s secondary during his first four seasons in the pros, Bryant cashed in with a three-year, $40 million contract in free agency, which was handed to him by the Chicago Bears. It was tough to see Bryant leave, but per his latest comments, he still has a lot of love for his former team.
Coby Bryant Gushes Over Seahawks After Departing in Free Agency
A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Bryant endured a slow start to his career, as he started just eight games in his first two seasons. Initially a cornerback, Bryant switched to safety in 2024, and he never looked back, as he became a key piece of Seattle’s secondary, which eventually played a big role in its aforementioned Super Bowl victory.
The 2025 campaign was the best one of Bryant’s career so far, as he finished the year with 66 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Bryant wasn’t the flashiest part of the Seahawks’ standout secondary, but he held things down deep in the field, which allowed everyone ahead of him to wreak havoc.
With the Bears losing Kevin Byard to the Patriots in free agency, they opted to replace him with Bryant, banking on his youth and potential. Seattle obviously would have liked to re-sign Bryant, but the timing did not work out. And while that may be true, it doesn’t sound like Bryant holds any ill will towards his former team.
“I’m beyond grateful for the years that I’ve spent in Seattle, but I’m extremely fortunate for the opportunity I’m getting here, and I’m looking forward to it for sure,” Bryant said when speaking to reporters recently.
Seahawks Already Have Their Replacement for Coby Bryant Lined Up
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 21: Coby Bryant #8 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates a tackle of Rashid Shaheed #22 of the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Lumen Field on September 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Losing Bryant hurts, but the Seahawks’ deep safety room allowed them to move on from him without really blinking an eye. Julian Love is still the leader of the room, with Nick Emmanwori filling a jack-of-all-trades role. Replacing Bryant is Ty Okada, who just re-signed with the team as an exclusive rights free agent on Monday.
Okada rotated in as Seattle’s fourth safety quite a bit last season, and it seems like head coach Mike Macdonald is comfortable giving him starter snaps in 2026. If all goes according to plan, Okada will be a seamless replacement for Bryant, but there’s no doubt that, even if that happens, the team will miss their former starting safety moving forward.
Coby Bryant Sends Message to Seahawks After Signing with Bears