The Chicago Bears carried four safeties last year, and if that trend continues, then there’s not much drama at this position this season.
The Bears paid Coby Bryant $40 million over three years to man one safety spot, so he’ll essentially replace Kevin Byard III, who not only played at an All-Pro level but was also the captain of the defense both years in the Windy City. The 27-year-old Bryant is an ascending talent who brings more versatility, and he quickly embraced a leadership role.
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“He’s one of those guys, he knows what good football and bad football looks like,” head coach Ben Johnson recently said about Bryant. “He just came from a Super Bowl-winning team. There’s a premium on that experience. I think that easily resonates with all the guys in the locker room. I think there’s an instant amount of respect that he’s garnered because of that.”
The 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft brought Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman to Chicago, and while he started the offseason working with the second string, he didn’t stay with the twos very long.
“Thieneman worked his way into first-team reps during mandatory minicamp while spending the spring learning Dennis Allen’s defense,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin recently reported. “Thieneman has been a sponge, particularly with his teammates in the secondary, and soaked up as much knowledge as he could from fellow safeties Coby Bryant and Elijah Hicks, the latter of whom will push him for playing time.”
Hicks has carved out a nice career for himself after being a part of Ryan Poles’ first draft class. The former seventh-round pick inked a one-year, $2.6 million deal, and he’ll be a core special teamer while backing up at safety.
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The Bears also signed Cam Lewis in free agency (2 years/$6M), and he has experience at safety, nickel, and special teams. Lewis missed some of the offseason workouts with an injury, but as long as he’s healthy, he’s a lock.
I think four is plenty at safety with how the roster is constructed, so the other three will be fighting for a spot or two on the practice squad.
Gervarrius Owens spent last year on Chicago’s practice squad, after previous stints with the Giants, Titans, and Vikings.
Anthony Johnson Jr. missed the 2025 season with an injury, but in 2024, he played in 9 games with the Giants, and as a seventh-round pick in 2023 by the Packers, he appeared in 12 games with 4 starts for Green Bay.
Skyler Thomas is a 2026 UDFA out of Oregon State, where he averaged 80 tackles a season over his last two years there.
Do you see any surprises at safety for the Bears in 2026?
