One of the free agency losses that the Seattle Seahawks had to endure earlier this offseason was four-year safety Coby Bryant, alongside another former defensive player in Boye Mafe and running back Kenneth Walker III. Losing Walker was big, but on defense, given Bryant's final two seasons in Seattle, his loss was just as big.
Bryant was picked up by the Chicago Bears, a team on the rise in the NFC, and a team expected to make the playoffs for the second time with Caleb Williams at quarterback. The NFC North might be the second-most-competitive division in the NFC, behind the West, where Bryant's former team, the Seahawks, plays.
From one NFC team to another, Bryant is now on a new journey, and even though he's only played four years in the NFL, many of his younger new Bears teammates view him as a veteran.
Former Seattle Seahawks champion Coby Bryant has leadership on his mind with the Chicago Bears
Furthermore, they view him as a player with winning experience, and with a Super Bowl ring to his name, Bryant has exactly that. Presently, he's doing everything he can to pass his knowledge down to his new squad in Chicago.
Anytime a young team on the rise, attempting to become an annual playoff contender and, hopefully, a Super Bowl contender, adds championship experience to the fray, it's always valuable. For the Bears, they now have that value in Bryant, who, after having zero interceptions in his first two years in the league, tallied seven in his final two years, and all with the Seahawks.
Bryant may be young in his NFL journey, but after winning a Super Bowl and playing an integral role in a deep playoff run, he has more experience and wisdom than ever. He had a career-high four interceptions last season and 41 total tackles.
His Seahawks tenure was a success, that's for sure, but now in Chicago, he's bringing all he learned in Seattle to his new team and taking on a leadership role there as well.
“The biggest thing is I tell them, you know, just take it one day at a time, one play at a time, one game at a time,” Bryant told reporters after a minicamp practice this week. “I try not to use my past — what I did in Seattle — with these guys. The biggest thing I came here to do is be a leader and, you know, direct these guys and lead these guys and vice versa.”
Even though Bryant doesn't want to bring his past to the present, it's still a valuable commodity for the locker room for Bryant to offer what he's learned, and he's learned how to win at the highest level. Winning at the highest level is where the Bears want to run toward, and with Williams continuing to rise at quarterback, the Bears' window of opportunity could open very soon.
As for Bryant, his focus on leadership is important; it shows what type of teammate he is. The Bears need leadership just as much as they need Bryant's winning experience. If he's talking about it, his teammates should be listening with ears wide open.
The Seahawks storyline in Bryant's life is over now, but he's beginning a new one with the Bears. That said, Seattle and Chicago meet in November for a Monday Night Football matchup. For Bryant, it might be nice to get the win against his former team.
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