Get a thick 2 piece rubber/plastic case. Make sure the edge of the case sticks out significantly from the screen, so when you drop it, it will hit the case before the phone. (Provided you don't drop it on gravel or something pointy)
My pixel 3a has survived years of this. And I haven't needed to replace it yet. Sure the plastic is scuffed to hell and back, and it ads significant thickness. but it's yet to fail in protecting my phone. And I've never bought a screen protector for it.
For me the screen protector is one of the most important things. I use an insulin pump, which is always in my pocket, and that means my keys are in the other pocket because they otherwise get impossibly tangled in the pump cord. The phone is also going in one front pocket or the other, because I don't like sitting on phones or keys. I've only had my Pixel 8 Pro for 4 or 5 days at this point, and there's already small scuffs on the screen protector. I usually have to change them every 5-6 months because they get so bad. Your mileage may vary, but it's absolutely essential for me, ain't no Gorilla Glass strong enough for the war my phones go through.