Chicago Bears’ Training Camp began with a non-ideal start. Coby Bryant, their big $40 million offseason investment on defense, went down with a bone bruise, hyperextended knee, and small fracture during the team’s first padded practice. While the injury is luckily not season-ending, it does sideline him for the next 8-10 weeks.
Following this significant loss to the safety room, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin updated fans on how the Bears are currently responding. “Cam Lewis will focus on playing safety while Coby Bryant (knee) is sidelined,” Cronin wrote.
Lewis played his first six seasons with the Buffalo Bills before signing a two-year, $6 million contract with the Bears this offseason.
While Lewis currently leads as the top replacement option for Bryant, Elijah Hicks is expected to push him for reps when he returns from his PUP list designation.
Jaylon Jones Is The Current Favorite To Win Bears’ Slot CB Battle
GettySafety Cam Lewis recorded 43 total tackles, 4 passes defensed, and 2 forced fumbles with the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Before his safety value increased, Lewis was primarily filling in for Kyler Gordon as the nickel corner.
Gordon himself is working his way back from a calf issue that has kept him out of the Bears’ entire offseason program so far.
Now that Lewis is out of the mix in the slot cornerback battle, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, and Malik Muhammad are still in contention.
Cronin reported on August 4th that, “Jones got the nickel reps with the (ones) on Tuesday.”
Sports Illustrated’s Mike Moraitis followed up on Cronin’s report, writing, “Between Muhammad, Jones and Blackwell, Jones is easily the favorite to land the top backup job in the slot. Jones saw a ton of first-team reps there during the spring when both Gordon and Lewis were sidelined with injuries, and he has continued to receive a lot of looks with the starters in training camp while rotating with Lewis.”
It remains to be seen if the Bears will bring in additional help to fill out the hole left by Bryant in the secondary.
Dillon Thieneman Saved The Bears From Bryant Disaster
GettyDillon Thieneman signed a four-year, $19.5 millon rookie contract.
While many Bears are expected to step up on defense this season, first-round rookie Dillon Thieneman will have to play an even bigger role than perhaps initially intended.
Bryant’s injury puts the lion’s share of responsibility on the 25th overall pick. Thieneman will have to get accustomed to the NFL’s speed quickly. The Bears’ decision to draft the former Oregon safety likely saved them from the disaster of being left without a stud in the defensive backfield for the first part of the season.
All reports out of the first portion of the offseason have been glowing about the start of Thieneman’s pro career. Now that the pads are on, the team will get a real indication of how special he can be.
The Athletic’s Dan Wiederer noted earlier in the offseason about the value Thieneman is adding to the team.
“[It] mostly felt like a long shot that Thieneman would fall to them [The Bears],” Wiederer prefaced. “When he did, general manager Ryan Poles pounced. What the Bears saw on Thieneman’s college tape came to life during the spring at Halas Hall. Speed. Instincts. Versatility. Aggressiveness. Passion. Thieneman is a long-term building block for the defense.”
Thieneman will have an opportunity to show his value quickly as the Bears’ Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers is just over a month away.
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