Chicago Bears avoid major situation with Coby Bryant after Monday’s injury scare — but it’s still a significant short-term loss
The Chicago Bears had a major injury scare when starting safety Coby Bryant was carted off the field on Monday during the first day of padded practice. Thankfully, the team got a somewhat encouraging update on his status.
The Chicago Bears received a significant injury update on starting safety Coby Bryant after he went down during Monday’s training camp practice with a knee injury and had to be carted off the field.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bryant is expected to be sidelined 8-10 weeks due to a hyperextended knee, bone bruise, and small fracture that he suffered during today’s practice. No surgery is expected to be needed.
That timeline is a concern for the Bears, who could be without Bryant to start the regular season. Still, the news is far better than what initially appeared when Bryant went down at practice.
“It always sucks to see,” tight end Colston Loveland said after practice. “That’s always part of it, but he’s tough, he’s a dog.”
Avoiding a season-ending injury is the silver-lining here for Coby Bryant and the Chicago Bears
Time will tell whether or not the Bears decide to place Bryant on injured reserve to start the season, which would knock him out for at least the first four games. The 8-10 week timeline would put Bryant’s best case return at Sept. 28, the same day Chicago is scheduled to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
The raw emotion he showed after suffering the injury on Monday made the situation feel dire for Bears fans and the organization alike. An ACL tear or another season-ending ligament injury felt like a real possibility. The fact that this is not a season-ending injury is a massive relief for the Bears. Bryant is a player Chicago simply cannot afford to lose long-term.
“He’s like that spark plug,” cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said of Bryant. “He comes in with that juice. You always see that from practice when he’s coming out of the middle of the field to make (pass breakups). He’s the spark plug and he’s bringing that energy every day, and he’s won it at the highest level.”
Short-term replacement options with Coby Bryant sidelined
Cam Lewis stepped in for Bryant during team drills on Monday. However, Lewis is also one of the players who has been rotating in at the nickel position with Kyler Gordon sidelined throughout the first few days of camp. It’s also worth noting that Elijah Hicks remains on the PUP as of today with a shin injury, although the injury wasn’t expected to sideline him for long.
Beyond Lewis and Hicks, the Bears are looking at players who have very little NFL experience at the position, although the team is high on undrafted rookie Skylar Thomas. The safety situation will be a legitimate concern for Chicago over the next few weeks, especially with Bryant sidelined and Hicks still working his way back.
The Bears invested heavily to replace the two starters in the room this offseason, selecting Dillon Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to pair alongside Bryant, who signed a three-year deal in free agency. Losing Bryant for the early portion of the season puts more pressure on Thieneman and forces the coaching staff to get creative with the personnel groupings in the secondary.
For now, it’s a price the Bears should feel fortunate to pay compared to what could have been with this injury situation.
