THE BEARS JUST FOUND THEIR SECRET WEAPON AND HE’S NOT WHO YOU THINK....... COBY BRYANT

The Bears built a brand new safety duo this offseason after losing four starters — Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson — all in one offseason. To replace them, Chicago made two big moves: signing Coby Bryant (fresh off a Super Bowl win with Seattle) to a $40M deal, then drafting Dillon Thieneman 25th overall out of Oregon. From day one, Bryant has taken the rookie under his wing — praising his coachability and intelligence, while Thieneman credits Bryant’s quiet, one-on-one guidance as hugely helpful. Beyond the mentorship, the duo is also a schematic upgrade — both can play free safety and in the box interchangeably, giving defensive coordinator Dennis Allen far more flexibility than he had with the previous pair. The Bears are betting this partnership becomes the anchor of a defense that finally fixes its two biggest 2025 problems: too few sacks and too many rushing yards allowed.