Bears obtain dangerous information concerning key 2026 free-agent addition
Bryant’s absence creates a serious drawback for Chicago, which has important questions on protection heading into the season. Per Aaron Schatz’s Protection-adjusted Worth Over Common (DVOA) metric, the Bears, who completed 2025 No. 29 in complete protection however first in turnovers compelled, are estimated to have the league’s worst protection in 2026 (h/t 2026 FTN Soccer Almanac).
Through the offseason, final 12 months’s beginning safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker left in free company, as did fellow security C.J. Gardner-Johnson, cornerback Nick McCloud and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
“You are taking a protection that was dangerous, fortunate and simply all of its guys,” Bryan Knowles wrote for the 2026 Almanac, “and our mannequin goes to hate it.”
Bryant, who ranked No. 10 amongst safeties in protection DVOA a season in the past, would have been key to creating up for these losses, however the Bears will doubtless should depend on veteran free-agent signings Cameron Lewis, 29, and Xavier Woods, 31 as a substitute to play alongside 2026 first-round choose Dillon Thieneman within the defensive backfield.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote on Monday in regards to the imaginative and prescient Chicago had for Bryant upon signing him, noting, “The Bears banked on his pace and expertise to raise the secondary whereas concurrently serving to develop Thieneman … who’s simply over a month from his first NFL begin.”
Bryant’s wage construction is one other adverse issue. Per Spotrac, Bryant has a manageable $5.96M cap quantity for 2026, however that grows to $17M in every of the 2 seasons after (2027, 2028), when he may very well be coming back from a yearlong layoff.
With Chicago’s protection already a obvious query, the onus will as soon as once more be on head coach Ben Johnson’s offense to steer the cost. The Bears improved by 7.7 factors per sport in his first season and will have to take one other leap to construct on the 11-6 end and NFC North title.
The affect of Bryant’s harm may very well be felt all season within the Windy Metropolis. He would have performed an enormous function on the unit, however his loss may very well be felt much more.
