<\/p>\n
Bryant’s absence creates a major problem for Chicago, which has significant questions on defense heading into the season. Per Aaron Schatz’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) metric, the Bears, who finished 2025 No. 29 in total defense but first in turnovers forced, are estimated to have the league’s worst defense in 2026 (h\/t 2026 FTN Football Almanac<\/a>).<\/p>\n During the offseason, last year’s starting safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker left in free agency, as did fellow safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, cornerback Nick McCloud and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.\u00a0<\/p>\n “You take a defense that was bad, lucky and just all of its guys,” Bryan Knowles wrote for the 2026 Almanac, “and our model is going to hate it.”<\/p>\n Bryant, who ranked No. 10 among safeties in coverage DVOA a season ago, would have been key to making up for those losses, but the Bears will likely have to rely on veteran free-agent signings Cameron Lewis, 29, and Xavier Woods, 31 instead to play alongside 2026 first-round pick Dillon Thieneman in the defensive backfield.<\/p>\n