Getty Safety Kevin Byard, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chicago Bears added two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in free agency, who brings more than just talent to the secondary — he’s also bringing his hard-nosed attitude.
Byard spoke at his introductory press conference on Thursday, March 14, during which he displayed an impressive knowledge of Chicago’s defense before sending a direct message to the NFC North Division champion Detroit Lions.
Kevin Byard says he knows a lot of the Bears secondary already given how much film he’s consumed. Naming players by name, their traits. Says he knows Montez Sweat from his high school days (Sweat went to Byard’s rival HS). The goal for Byard in joining the Bears D? “Knock Detroit…
“Kevin Byard says he knows a lot of the Bears secondary already given how much film he’s consumed. Naming players by name, their traits.” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported via X. “Says he knows Montez Sweat from his high school days (Sweat went to Byard’s rival HS). The goal for Byard in joining the Bears D? ‘Knock Detroit off their high horse.'”
Kevin Byard Playing at High Level as He Joins Bears’ Secondary
GettyNew Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard.
Byard is an eight-year pro who spent the first seven and a half seasons of his NFL career as a member of the Tennessee Titans. The franchise selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.
The safety earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in 2017, when he led the league with eight interceptions. Byard earned the exact same honors in 2021 on the heels of the Titans’ third consecutive playoff berth.
Tennessee dealt Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of last year’s mid-season trade deadline, and Philly cut him this offseason in the interest of saving $13 million against the salary cap. Byard, who will play the upcoming campaign at 31 years old, subsequently signed a two-year deal worth $15 million to join the Bears.
Over the course of his professional tenure Byard has amassed 749 tackles, 66 pass breakups and 28 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference. He has started 121 of 130 regular-season games over the last eight seasons, missing only one contest during that time.
Byard played more than 1,100 defensive snaps in 2023 and was an exceptional run defender from the position, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He was also solid in coverage and roughly average as a pass rusher in a limited capacity, according to PFF’s advanced analytics metric.
Kevin Byard Will Join Jaquan Brisker as Part of Formidable Bears’ Safety Duo
GettySafety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.
Byard now joins Bears’ safety Jaquan Brisker as part of what should be one of the more formidable duos at the position across the league. Brisker and Byard should complement each other well given their strengths and weaknesses from last season.
Both are well above average as run defenders. Byard’s quality coverage skills should help supplement Brisker, who struggled more in coverage than any other aspect of the game last season, per PFF.
Meanwhile, Brisker is a borderline-elite pass rusher from the position with 5.0 sacks across his first two seasons, which is the one area of Byard’s game that was relatively lacking in 2023.
The Bears locker room voted Brisker its defensive MVP during his rookie campaign in 2022, which bodes well for the back end of Chicago’s defense, as he will now play in tandem with Byard.
Joining the safety duo is Jaylon Johnson, who the Bears re-signed to a four-year deal worth $76 million earlier this March. PFF rated Johnson the best cornerback in the NFL last season.
His presence alongside 2023 rookie CB Tyrique Stevenson rounds out a top four in the Chicago secondary that should be capable of giving any offense a run for its money next season, including that of the division champion Lions.