Bears HC Ben Johnson’s immediate reaction watching potential Coby Bryant replacement

The Chicago Bears were dealt a brutal blow when safety Coby Bryant was forced to undergo knee surgery. He may now miss the entire 2026 campaign.

To help alleviate his loss, the Bears added fellow safety Xavier Woods in free agency. He hasn’t had long to truly make his impact with Chicago. But Woods has already caught the attention of head coach Ben Johnson, via his Thursday press conference.

“He’s a pro,” Johnson said. “He’s got that approach about him. He knows what his body needs. He knows all these schemes that [defensive coordinator Dennis Allen] has. He’s really taken to the system. You throw him in there with the ones and we’re not missing a beat on the backend. That’s encouraging to see.”

“Hopefully we’ll see him feel a little bit more comfortable just in this setting, with his teammates and see his personality start to come out a little bit more,” he continued. “I don’t have a good gauge yet. But I like what I’ve seen so far and I think the communication has been really clean.”

Xavier Woods stepping into key role

Chicago Bears, Xavier Woods, Dennis Allen — Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Xavier Woods (25) intercepts a pass intended for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Whether or not Woods actually starts is yet to be seen. Alongside him the Bears also have fellow free agent addition Cam Lewis and Terell Smith. Still, Woods has been getting reps with the starters throughout training camp. If he continues impressing Johnson and has a successful preseason, the safety could be in a place to make a true impact early on.

Woods is coming to Chicago with nine years of NFL experience under his belt, appearing in 134 games, including 121 starts. Overall, the safety has put up 660 tackles, 50 passes defended and 15 interceptions. Through his 11 games with the Tennessee Titans during the 2025 campaign, Woods recorded 39 tackles, three pass break ups and two picks.

Bryant’s injury has thrown a sizable wrench into the Bears’ safety plans. But Johnson is remaining hopeful that Woods can serve as a consistent replacement.

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