The Chicago Bears have added a new safety to their roster less than 24 hours after losing starter Coby Bryant to a significant knee injury at training camp.
Before August 4’s practice, the Bears announced they signed undrafted rookie safety Marlen Sewell to their 90-man camp roster in a pair of corresponding roster moves.
Sewell — who is not related to Bears linebacker Noah Sewell — went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in the spring, but he delivered his best season for the Commodores in 2025, tallying a career-best 52 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups in 13 starts.
The Bears had taken a closer look at Sewell before the start of training camp on July 24 when they brought him and three other safeties to Halas Hall for official roster tryouts. They had also worked out safeties Hudson Clark, Glendon Miller and Josh Minkins.
The Bears needed more depth at the safety position after Bryant hyperextended his left knee and suffered both a bone bruise and fracture during August 3’s padded practice. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bryant’s injury is expected to sideline him for the next eight to 10 weeks, which likely means he won’t return until October at the earliest.
The Bears also still have Elijah Hicks, their top backup safety, on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, underscoring their need for additional deep-field depth.
Coby Bryant Injury Creates Major Concern for Bears
Sewell’s signing gives the Bears another body to help them fill out safety reps at camp in the weeks ahead, but he is unlikely to solve the bigger problem with Bryant’s injury.
The Bears signed Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract in March to become their new free safety following his Super Bowl victory with the Seattle Seahawks in February. He had shown a knack for limiting big plays in coverage and thumping in the run game, making him an ideal replacement for Kevin Byard III, who departed in free agency.
The problem is that Bryant is the only significant veteran that the Bears signed to the position despite losing Byard, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jonathan Owens from the group. They re-signed Hicks and added veteran Cam Lewis, but both have been backups/special teams players more often than not during their careers.
Then there’s first-round pick Dillon Thieneman, their expected starting strong safety. Bryant’s injury does not deprive Dennis Allen’s defense of Thieneman and his gifts, but the Bears were also counting on Bryant and Thieneman to build chemistry in camp that would help them in the regular season — chemistry they must now forge in the season.
The good news is the Bears should have Bryant back before the midpoint in the regular season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them target another impactful veteran safety in free agency — or perhaps in a trade near cut day — to tide them over until he returns.
Bears Also Place Edge Rusher on Season-Ending IR
The Bears also effectively shut down one of their edge rushers for the rest of the 2026 season when they put Jonathan Garvin on injured reserve in Tuesday’s roster moves.
Garvin landed on IR with an undisclosed injury, but his placement on the injury list means that he won’t be eligible to play for the Bears in 2026 even if he is cleared from his injury at some point during the regular season. The Bears could waive him with an injury settlement later on to free him up to play with another team once he is healthy.
Alternatively, though, Garvin must sit out the rest of the year on the Bears’ injury list.
While Garvin — a former Green Bay Packers draft pick — did not have great odds to make the team’s initial 53-man roster at the defensive end position, he could have seized a practice-squad role with them again after doing so during the 2025 season.
Garvin’s addition to injured reserve cleared space for Sewell to rejoin the roster.
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