Bears shore up defense with free agent signings of LB Devin Bush, S Coby Brant, DT Neville Gallimore
The Chicago Bears have been busy bolstering their defense on the first day of free agency, signing linebacker Devin Bush Jr., safety Coby Bryant, and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, according to reports.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the Bears have signed Bush to a 3-year, $30 million contract. The former Browns linebacker has played seven seasons in the NFL, and is coming off his best season in 2025, when he had 125 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks in 17 starts.
The Bears also re-signed linebacker D'Marco Jackson on a 2-year, $10,5 million deal, according to Schefter. Jackson was primarily a special teams player for the Bears, but after injuries to Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards, he earned four starts late in the season, winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week 15 against the Browns, recording an interception and a sack to go with seven tackles.
Meantime, the Bears also signed former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant to a 3-year, $40 million contract, according to multiple reports. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Seattle, winning a Super Bowl with the Seahawks last season. He will turn 27 before the 2026 regular season begins.
Bryant was mostly a backup in his first two seasons in the league, but started 26 games over the past two seasons, recording 139 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles in 32 games overall in 2024 and 2025.
The Bears still have three other safety positions to fill, leaving the door open to possibly bringing back Jaquan Brisker or Kevin Byard.
Chicago also bolstered its defensive line by signing Gallimore to a 2-year, $12 million contract. The six-year veteran is only 29 years old and has mostly been a rotational player in his career, with 26 starts in 83 games.
A 3rd round draft pick by the Cowboys in 2020, he spent four seasons with Dallas before playing for the Rams in 2024 and the Colts in 2025, when he had his most productive season, with 38 tacks and 3.5 sacks in 17 games, 8 of them starts.
Gallimore joins a rotation that includes veterans Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr., and rookie Shemar Turner. Andrew Billings is a free agent after three seasons with the Bears.