One thing that is inevitable about football is that guys get hurt. Injuries are an unfortunate fact of life, especially in a game that is so physical. The Chicago Bears were brutalized by injuries last season, especially on defense. It appears that misfortune continues for them. News broke on Monday that Coby Bryant, their prized free agent addition at safety, badly tweaked his knee during the first padded practice of training camp. He suffered a hyperextension, a bone bruise, and a small fracture during an awkward landing during drills.
The final tally? Bryant will miss 8-10 weeks of action. That means he is out for the rest of camp, the entire preseason, and at least the first two games of the regular season. Depending on the recovery, he could miss all of September. It is a brutal setback for the defense. They were counting on Bryant to help fortify the back end. Right now, they’re looking at their other free agent signing, Cam Lewis, as the initial replacement. Depending on how that goes, it’s possible the Bears may look to bring in outside help.
Here are some names to watch.
The Bears have some interesting choices to fill in for Coby Bryant
Harrison Smith
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Based purely on track record and credibility, you can’t do much better than a future Hall of Famer. Smith has given the Bears fits for over a decade during his stellar run with the Minnesota Vikings. Sadly, all things come to an end. Minnesota elected to move on from the 37-year-old. It wasn’t necessary because he wasn’t productive. Smith still had 54 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack last season. He was one of the big reasons they avoided a losing record with a terrific performance down the stretch. Smith can still play. Would he accept an invitation to start in Chicago for a month or so? Dennis Allen could probably find plenty of uses for him even after Bryant returns, and Smith would make a terrific mentor for Dillon Thieneman. Much depends on how much he wants to play.
Taylor Rapp
Rapps was a solid player for the Los Angeles Rams from 2019 through 2022. He played well for Buffalo in 2024, as well. Unfortunately, a knee injury knocked him out last season after just six games. How he returns from that is unknown. Rapp is the youngest player on this list at 28 years old. He comes with solid versatility, showing tenacity as a tackler and enough range to handle his business in coverage. Speed was never his strength, but the Bears have shown they can navigate around that problem. Rapp has experience playing for successful teams. That knowledge will sit well in that locker room.
Donovan Wilson
The former 6th round pick doesn’t get enough credit for carving out a strong career with the Dallas Cowboys, playing seven seasons, including the final four as a regular starter. In that time, he has demonstrated good versatility with 13.5 sacks and 8 interceptions. If you’re looking for somebody you can move around like a chess piece, Wilson can do that. He’s similar to Jaquan Brisker in that regard. The trade-off is that he isn’t overly good in coverage these days. He allowed 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. If the Bears sign him, it should be primarily as a box safety. Not ideal, but it’s a workable solution.
Xavier Woods
Probably one of the more unheralded safeties over the past decade. Woods would never be mistaken for a star, but he’s been a quality starter in both Dallas and Carolina. He was actually having one of his better seasons in 2025 with Tennessee, collecting two interceptions and a sack in 11 games before hamstring problems eventually forced the Titans to shut him down. He should be healthy by now. It is somewhat surprising nobody has picked him up. He’s played in different types of defenses and has enough range to provide reasonable help over the top in coverage. If you’re looking for a temporary stopgap until Coby Bryant returns, you could do a lot worse.
Trevon Diggs
| Season | Team | G/GS | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | Yds Allowed | Yds/Cmp | TD | Passer Rating Against | Missed Tackles (Rate%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DAL / GB | 9 / 7 | 24 | 18 | 75.0% | 288 | 16.0 | 4 | 154.2 | 3 (10.0%) |
| 2024 | DAL | 11 / 11 | 55 | 33 | 60.0% | 398 | 12.1 | 3 | 85.3 | 9 (17.6%) |
| 2023 | DAL | 2 / 2 | N/A* | N/A* | 33.0% | N/A* | N/A* | 0 | 1.0 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 2022 | DAL | 17 / 17 | 84 | 55 | 65.5% | 673 | 12.2 | 3 | 87.1 | 1 (1.7%) |
| 2021 | DAL | 16 / 16 | 103 | 54 | 52.4% | 907 | 16.8 | 4 | 55.8 | 10 (16.1%) |
| 2020 | DAL | 12 / 11 | 82 | 45 | 54.9% | 664 | 14.8 | 5 | 86.6 | 6 (10.9%) |
This last one is more of a projection. Diggs was an All-Pro cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys a few years ago. Unfortunately, his overall lack of speed became an increasingly serious problem as time went on. He just couldn’t stay with wide receivers consistently enough. That is why his stint with the Green Bay Packers was so brief. His future as a cornerback appears bleak in the NFL. That said, Diggs has the size, physicality, and ball skills to make a go of it at safety. His lack of speed will be less of a concern at that position. Don’t forget that Bryant started out as a cornerback in Seattle. Would Diggs embrace the idea? He’d be reuniting with defensive backs coach Al Harris. If anybody can help the 28-year-old make the transition, it’d be him.
