Chicago Bears new safety Coby Bryant is sending a strong message toward his former team and the league better plan accordingly
The Chicago Bears deserve to get the 2026 regular opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Chicago Bears pulled a fast one over the heads of the defending Super Bowl Champions when they signed former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant in free agency. The Bears moved quick to land Bryant to upgrade their secondary for the 2026 season and Seattle wasn’t too happy to lose him.
“Anytime you bring a player in and your phones go off from coaches, front office, on how pissed off Seattle was not having him back, but also how fortunate we are to have a guy like this in our building, that’s what you want to hear,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said of acquiring Bryant. “That’s exactly what happened. We’re fired up.”
Bryant was someone the Bears had their eyes on since the 2022 NFL Draft, the same draft Poles used two second-round picks on the defensive back position in Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. Four years later, Chicago was able to circle back to Bryant as a high-priority target still in his prime.
They also get a player fresh off a Super Bowl win that now has a chip on his shoulder after not being retained by his former team. Fittingly, he won’t have to wait long for his chance to stick it to Seattle.
Coby Bryant is looking forward to the 2026 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks
The Bears are expected to face the reigning champs during the 2026 regular season in Seattle, a game Bryant is already looking forward to after joining his new squad.
“In Seattle, so they better be ready for me, for sure,” Bryant said on the Up & Adams Show. “I’m going to be excited… I’m always motivated, honestly. I know [head coach Ben Johnson] will lean into it and Caleb [Williams] and the rest of those guys on this team will be. We’re building something special and I’m excited.”
Bears head coach Ben Johnson always leans into these “revenge” games for individual players, even if he doesn’t say it publicly. He will find a way to throw that in during the team meetings to make sure that individual player, and honestly the entire team, is even more motivated going into the game. It’s just smart coaching.
As for when the Bears face the Seahawks, that’s yet to be determined, but the league has an obvious decision on where to schedule that game.
Bears vs. Seahawks has to be the regular season opener in Week 1, it’s just the obvious move
Traditionally, the Super Bowl champions play the first Week 1 game on Thursday night to kick off the regular season. Sometimes it’s a Super Bowl rematch, and sometimes it’s against a hot team that can drive up the ratings for the opening night.
This year will be slightly different with the Los Angeles Rams scheduled to face the San Francisco 49ers in Australia on Thursday night. However, Seattle will still open the season by playing the day before, on a rare Wednesday night game, with the opponent still yet to be announced.
With the Rams and 49ers ruled out as the potential Week 1 opponent for Seattle, here are the other viable away opponents they could face: Bears, Chiefs, Patriots, Giants, Chargers, and Cardinals. Only two of those matchups make sense for the kickoff game: Bears and Patriots (SB rematch).
It’s safe to say Bryant has a preference of when he wants to face his former team.
“I wouldn’t mind starting the season off out there, honestly,” Bryant said. “Weather will be nice, the whole world will be watching. It has to be.”
Bryant is making a strong case and it’s an obvious decision for the league. Save the Super Bowl rematch for later in the season and instead kick things off with the Super Bowl champs hosting the most exciting and must-watch team in the league.
The Cardiac Bears had fans glued to their seats last season, which led to record-breaking viewership numbers. Starting off Year 2 of the Ben Johnson Era against the defending champs will be a daunting challenge but not one the Bears are going to shy away from.
And this will surely be much more exciting compared to the 6-3 snooze fest these two teams had on Thursday Night Football late in the 2024 season.