Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
The Chicago Bears got a jump on 2024 NFL free agency when they signed free safety Kevin Byard to a two-year, $15 million contract three days before the start of the new league year. Several ESPN analysts, though, consider their urgency with Byard to be one of the most “head-scratching moves” of free agency.
The Bears created an opening for a new starting free safety on February 15 when they parted ways with 30-year-old Eddie Jackson and created about $12.56 million in salary-cap relief for the 2024 season. Rather than wait until the start of negotiations, though, they instead hurried to find a new starter from the cap-casualty market and inked Byard — a two-time All-Pro — to a deal that will cost less overall than Jackson’s 2024 cap hit.
The move struck ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler as both head-scratching and “impulsive.”
“Byard has had a great career, but jumping out pre-free agency with $15 million over two years seemed impulsive, especially with Justin Simmons and Quandre Diggs still out there in an oversaturated safety market,” Fowler wrote on March 23. “For contrast, Kamren Curl, who is five years younger, signed for $8.75 million over two years, with upside to $12.75 million.”
Fowler wasn’t alone in his assessment. Of the eight ESPN experts who weighed in on the best and worst of free agency, three called out the Bears’ decision to sign Byard.
“The safety market was very good entering free agency, and there were much better and younger fits for the Bears to sign,” Jordan Reid wrote. “Considering the amount of cap space they had prior to that signing, there seemed to be better fits than the aging Byard.”
Kevin Byard Could Offer Upgrade for Bears in 2024
The Bears were bound to draw some criticism for signing Byard. He played extremely well during his seven and a half seasons with the Tennessee Titans, recording 27 total interceptions, but he struggled after his midseason trade to Philadelphia in 2023. Like Jackson, he ended up on the cut pile due to his rising cap number and declining play.
Additionally — as the ESPN experts noted — the Bears could have explored several other options that, on paper, appeared to fit the needs of their secondary better.
Xavier McKinney topped the market before signing a four-year, $59 million deal with Green Bay, but his price tag would have likely been too rich for the Bears’ tastes. Still, the market had good options under 30, including Geno Stone, Jordan Whitehead, Curl, Simmons and Julian Blackmon. The last two remain unsigned as of March 25.
Despite the critics, though, Byard might be an ideal addition for the Bears secondary.
The Bears dumped Jackson partially because of his expensive contract, but they also had valid concerns about his health and the overall quality of his play. Jackson missed 10 games over the past two seasons and, in 2023, had the least productive season of his career. Byard, on the other hand, has never even missed an NFL practice — really — and is much more productive both in terms of producing takeaways and securing tackles.
The Bears could have gone the rookie route at free safety, but a veteran addition allows them to retain some of the leadership lost in Jackson and ideally minimize any learning curves heading into 2024. Chicago is also paying Byard $15 million over the next two seasons instead of the $18.1 million Jackson would have cost this season.
Better moves out there? Maybe, but Byard is a clear upgrade for the Bears.
Could Bears Add Rookie Safety Even With Kevin Byard?
The Bears now have clear-cut starters at every position for their 2024 secondary. Jaylon Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension in March to remain their No. 1 cornerback while Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker are all due to reprise their starting roles with at least two more years left on their rookie contracts.
If Byard can bring more to the table than Jackson, the unit should improve in 2024.
That said, the Bears could still have interest in adding a rookie safety to their roster during the 2024 NFL draft. Chicago is highly unlikely to target the position with either of its two first-round selections — even if the Bears trade back from No. 9 — but a safety is a more reasonable selection for them with either their third- or fourth-round picks.
Washington State’s Jaden Hicks stands out among the mid-round options. He has the versatility to play both safety positions and logged more than 100 snaps in the slot during his college career. He is also a reliable run defender with room to improve his coverage abilities. With Byard in place, he could be a nice developmental third safety if the Bears are willing to use the 75th pick on him.