Injuries are piling up for the Bears in training camp. 

Chicago lost one of its most important pieces on defense with an injury diagnosis gone wrong for safety Coby Bryant. 

Bryant was initially diagnosed with a bone bruise and knee hyperextension, which would avoid surgery and comes with a recovery timeline of eight to 10 weeks, putting him back sometime in the early-to-middle part of the season.

That is no longer the case, as further testing has shown that Bryant does indeed need surgery and now faces a lengthy recovery process, with a four- to six-month recovery timeline. 

The injury, which occurred on the Bears’ first day of practice with pads on, was during a one-on-one drill with tight end Cole Kmet. 

Bryant signed with the Bears on a three-year $40 million contract after winning the Super Bowl last season with the Seahawks. 

Bryant could potentially return in December, though it appears possible that he does not return at all given the timetable the team has announced. 

The punches keep on rolling for the Bears as Cam Lewis, the backup to Bryant and another free-agent signing, was also carted off the field Aug. 8 and was reportedly in considerable pain, though he was seen at a team walk-through Monday.

Chicago’s defense needs all the help it can get as it allowed 5.9 yards per play last season, the fourth-most of any team and the highest mark of any playoff squad.

The Bears also brought in linebacker Devin Bush to replace now-Giants linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, while also adding nose tackle Neville Gallimore to clog up the middle. 

Chicago opens the season in Carolina on Sept. 13.