The Chicago Bears have been operating short-handed at the safety position all offseason long thanks to the injury to Coby Bryant.
Bryant, who was one of of the Bears' biggest acquisitions during the offseason, suffered a knee injury in training camp , and after it was initially reported he had avoided a significant injury, that turned out not to be the case.
Instead, Bryant had to undergo surgery with a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise in the same area on Aug. 7, and head coach Ben Johnson told reporters that Bryant would miss four-to-six months , which put Bryant in danger of missing the entire 2026 season.
Johnson did, however, leave the door open for Bryant to get back by the end of the season. And, after the latest update on Bryant, the veteran safety looks like he might just make it back.
Chicago Bears defensive back Coby Bryant (2) runs with the ball during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Prior to kickoff of the Week 6 game between the Bears and Atlanta Falcons, Bryant was spotted walking on the sideline without the assistance of crutches or anything else.
Bryant also didn't seem to be walking without much, if any limp. Check out the video courtesy of FOX Chicago reporter Devan Kaney below.
The belief Bryant will be back this season just got a major shot in the arm.
A detailed view of a Chicago Bears helmet before the game against Carolina Panthers during pregame warmups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bryant stirred fans up earlier this month with a post on X that made fans believe he might be back sooner rather than later.
The post featured a black-and-white photo of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant sitting on the bench with his eyes closed. Bryant's post also included the "shushing face" emoji.
However, Bryant did not provide any context for the post, so we can't say for sure exactly what he was trying to get at.
With the four-to-six month timeline, mid-December is the earliest we will see Bryant back on the field. But, again, he could be out until January or quite possibly the entire season.
Chicago Bears safety Dillon Thieneman (31) against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Bears are already getting high-level play out of rookie Dillon Thieneman, who has been just about everything the Bears could have hoped for after taking him in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
As we know, Bryant is a darn-good safety himself, as evidenced by the Bears paying him $40 million over three years in free agency.
If Bryant can return and play at the level that earned him that sizeable deal, the Bears could have one of the best safety duos in the NFL, and for multiple years, at that.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/bears/onsi as Coby Bryant Shows Progress in Injury Recovery Ahead of Bears vs. Falcons .
