Coby Bryant Wants to Face Seahawks in Week 1

Safety Coby Bryant signing with the Chicago Bears was arguably the biggest shock of the offseason thus far for the Seattle Seahawks.

Bryant appeared to be a priority re-signing for the Seahawks, but the Bears lured him away with a three-year, $40 million deal through the 2028 season. Now, the Seahawks will turn to former backup safety Ty Okada, who played well in 11 starts last season, to fill the void of Bryant's departure.

In his first media appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, Bryant touched on his decision to leave, being moved to safety in 2023 and his desire to play the Seahawks in the season opener.

Seahawks matchup vs. Bears 'has to be' the Week 1 matchup

Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) celebrates after an interception during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The NFL schedule won't be released until May, but teams already know their 17 regular-season opponents for the 2026 campaign. Seattle has Chicago on its list of home games, and the Seahawks will open the season at home on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the Super Bowl LX banner is unveiled.

"We actually play Seattle, this year, in Seattle, so they better be ready for me for sure," Bryant said.

Whenever the game happens, it'll be the first time Bryant returns to Seattle as an opponent. If it's the season opener, Bryant could be given the chance to celebrate the Super Bowl title with his former teammates.

"I wouldn’t mind, honestly, starting the season off out there," Bryant added. "Weather will be nice, the whole world will be watching … It has to be."

Bryant 'pretty pissed' when he was first moved to safety

Bryant, a 2022 fourth-round pick, was a cornerback when he entered the NFL. He had a heavy workload as a rookie before playing just 146 defensive snaps in 2023 due to the addition of that year's No. 5 overall pick, Devon Witherspoon.

Former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll began transitioning Bryant to safety, and Mike Macdonald picked up that transformation when he became the team's head coach in 2024.

Bryant flourished, starting 26 games from 2024-25 and amassing 139 tackles, five tackles for loss, 13 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and seven interceptions in that span.

"When they moved me to safety in Seattle a couple of years ago, I was pretty pissed, I’m not gonna lie," Bryant said. "Like, I didn’t want to play safety. I just always wanted to play corner, but they knew what it could do to my career, and I’m beyond thankful that they were able to do that for me. It just unlocks me being the best player and best leader that I can be for the team I’m on, and just ultimately [lets me] go out there and make the plays that I’m capable of making."

Nov 13, 2022; Munich, Germany; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant (8) celebrates with fans in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an NFL International Series game at Allianz Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The hardest part of leaving Seattle

After the transition to safety, Bryant became an integral part of the Seahawks' defensive success. Under Macdonald, the "Dark Side" had formed a close brotherhood that blossomed into a Super Bowl title.

Bryant reflected on leaving that unit, and starting a new journey away from the Seahawks.

"It’s always tough leaving Seattle. What we built for the last two years with coach Mike [Macdonald], all my brothers, that was definitely the toughest thing about it — leaving those guys," Bryant said.

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