Bears coach Ben Johnson told reporters Tuesday that safety Coby Bryant underwent knee surgery last Friday and is expected to be sidelined 4-to-6 months.
The prized free-agent acquisition sustained the injury in last Monday’s practice. The 4-to-6-month timeline means that the earliest he is likely to return is mid-December.
“He’s going to be in a hurry to get back to help us out there at the end of the year,” Johnson said.
Bryant signed a three-year contract with the Bears after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks, appearing in 58 games with 34 starts and recording 227 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, seven interceptions, 17 pass breakups and seven forced fumbles.
All seven of Bryant’s interceptions came in the last two seasons after he switched from cornerback to safety. Last year, he established career highs with four picks and seven pass breakups in helping Seattle win the Super Bowl.
After the Bears signed Bryant, Johnson described him as a tone-setter who will bring a nasty disposition to coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.
“Coby is the template for how we all want our team to play,” Johnson said Tuesday. “He was a big part of offense, defense and special teams, the mentality, the mindset, his approach. We loved everything about him. It certainly takes us back a little bit, but it also provides opportunity for other guys to fill that void.
“It might be guys we hope to prod along a little bit. It might be other guys that just naturally gravitate to that, but I think that’s the best thing about team sports is normally when there is a little bit of open air some guys will step up to the plate and say, ‘No one else is going to do it, so I am.’ And I think that’s going to be a fun thing to watch.”