Chicago Bears' safety Coby Bryant out 4 to 6 months after knee surgery
Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss 4 to 6 months after undergoing surgery on his injured knee, head coach Ben Johnson announced Tuesday.
Bryant, a former Seattle Seahawk who was signed to a three-year, $40 million contract in free agency in March, suffered a hyperextended knee, a bone bruise, and a small fracture during the first padded practice of camp on Aug. 3.
ESPN reported last week that the injury was expected to keep Bryant out 8 to 10 weeks, but Johnson said the team always expected him to be out longer than that.
Johnson said the team hopes Bryant is able to return to play by the end of the season.
"He's going to be in a hurry to get back to help us out there at the end of the year," Johnson said.
Bryant was expected to be a key part of the Bears' defense, and until the injury was expected to start alongside 1st round draft pick Dillon Thieneman, after both starting safeties from 2025, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, left in free agency.
While Johnson said Bryant's injury will create an opportunity for other players on the roster, it is a major blow to the Bears, who are aiming for their second consecutive playoff berth.
"Coby is the template for how we want all our team to play," Johnson said. "The mentality, the mindset, his approach, we loved everything about him. So, yeah, it certainly takes us back a little bit, but it also provides opportunity for other guys to fill that void."
A fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022, Bryant thrived when Mike Macdonald arrived in Seattle in 2024 and moved him from cornerback to safety. Over the past two seasons, Bryant recorded seven interceptions (and returned one for a touchdown), 139 tackles, 13 passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He started all 15 games he appeared in last season, as well as all three of the Seahawks' playoff games en route to their Super Bowl triumph.
Cam Lewis could be next up to take Bryant's starting spot early in the season.
Meantime, the Bears could get injured left tackle Ozzy Trapilo back from his own knee injury sooner than expected. Trapilo suffered a patellar injury in the Bears' wild card playoff win over the Packers, and originally was expected to miss much of the 2026 season. But Johnson suggested Tuesday that Trapilo is well ahead of schedule.
"There's still a lot of things that he's got to hit, in terms of making himself available for practice, but he's done a really nice job with the rehab," Johnson said.
While Johnson did not offer a timeline for Trapilo's return, he left the door open he could be back by the start of the regular season.
"We'll see how things go, but he's doing a good job working right now," Johnson said. "He's been attacking this thing head-on. He's been here pretty much all summer. I've gotten to see him every single day, it seems like, and he's doing a great job with the rehab process."
