The Chicago Bears were thrilled to sign Coby Bryant as a free agent this past March. Things were looking great, too. He was making plays in practice to start training camp. Then an awkward tangle up with Cole Kmet saw him suffer a knee injury. He would need surgery to repair it, which would mean Bryant would miss months of action. Even today, the Bears aren’t sure if he will return this season. The hope is that there are no complications in his recovery. If so, he could be back sometime in December.
One would think Bryant would have no choice but to accept that he can’t do anything until then. This underestimates the safety. If he can’t contribute by playing on the field, it seems he’s decided to do it in more creative ways. One of them is by mentally manipulating his teammates. Herb Howard of The Bigs told the story of how, after the Bears’ win in Seattle, the media was focused on Jeffery Simmons and the defensive line. Bryant saw that as an opportunity to call them out for all the crap they’ve been saying about the secondary.
Right in front of Jaylon Johnson, mind you.
Coby Bryant knew what he was doing.
He’s not stupid. The Chicago media has been talking for weeks about how much of a liability the secondary has been, especially the cornerbacks. Despite what they might say, that sort of stuff bothers guys like Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson. They work really hard and don’t appreciate people who don’t play the game dismissing their efforts. That is not to say the criticism is unwarranted. The numbers and game film speak for themselves. It is merely that they already know. The players don’t need people reminding them.
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There were two ways Coby Bryant could approach the situation. He could use the power of positivity to encourage his teammates to keep grinding. Things will even out sooner or later if they keep working. Or he could go the slightly more devious route. He could use the media bashing to needle those teammates enough that they start getting pissed off. History shows that players tend to play their best when angry. Former All-Star point guard Mark Jackson was infamous for doing that with Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.
It is nice to see the safety still engaged.
Nobody would’ve blamed him for stepping back from the team as he tried to get his knee squared away. That isn’t how Bryant is wired. He’s always been a vocal teammate. It is why he was so beloved in Seattle. Just because he can’t play doesn’t mean he will stop looking for ways to contribute. Eagle-eyed fans probably saw him talking trash on the sideline during the game against the Seahawks. He wants to be out there. From how he’s acting, he plans to be out there at the first opportunity.
Until then, you can bet he’ll keep using subtle tactics like this. Use the media to feed an “us against the world” mentality. It’s worked many times in the past. If this gets Johnson and Stevenson playing better, the entire team benefits. Bryant fully plans on being a multiplier in his own right when he rejoins the team officially next month.
