Getty Safety Kevin Byard, formerly of the Tennessee Titans.
The Chicago Bears front office was as busy as any in the league with all of its acquisitions over the summer, though one big-name add has flown relatively under the radar.
After drafting the likes of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, trading for Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen and signing Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift in free agency, Chicago’s move to replace safety Eddie Jackson with two-time All-Pro Kevin Byard (2017, 2021) has garnered minimal attention comparatively. But the move was far from minor.
Jackson, also a former All-Pro (2018), started all 100 games in which he played for the Bears over his seven-year NFL career. Byard now steps into that starting role alongside third-year player Jaquan Brisker in a Chicago secondary the coaching staff will ask to do more than most considering the lack of pass-rushing depth along the front seven.
Aaron Leming and Jeff Berckes of Windy City Gridiron both believe Byard is up for the challenge, as each writer named the safety as their choice for the Bears’ bounce back player of the 2024 campaign on Saturday, July 27.
“For years, Byard was regarded as one of the league’s best safeties. Last year, his age appeared to have caught up with him,” Leming wrote. “While it’s unrealistic to expect a career resurgence at 30 years old, being an upgrade over Eddie Jackson would help Chicago’s secondary.”
Berckes added that a full camp followed by a full season, all with the same team, should help Byard regain at least some of his previous form.
“Last year fell short of expectations as [Byard] was traded mid-season from the [Tennessee] Titans to the [Philadelphia] Eagles,” Berckes wrote. “I expect a full offseason to benefit Byard, who has never missed a game in his [eight] NFL seasons.”
Kevin Byard Struggled in Coverage to Degree Last Season, Still Graded Highly in Advanced Metrics
GettySafety Kevin Byard, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, will play for the Chicago Bears in 2024.
For all the talk of Byard falling off in 2023, his advanced statistics remained fairly promising.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Byard was the 22nd-best safety in the league out of 95 players who saw enough snaps at the position to qualify. He produced a borderline-elite run defense grade of 82.1 as well as a solid coverage grade of 70.3. PFF ranked Byard as a 74.0 player overall.
Of course, advanced stats don’t tell the whole story. Byard surrendered completions on nearly 75% of the 63 times opposing QBs targeted him, which was the worst mark of his career, per Pro Football Reference. Quarterbacks also accumulated a collective rating of 102.1 while throwing on Byard, which was the second-worst mark of the safety’s NFL tenure.
Kevin Byard Must Provide Playmaking for Bears’ Defense if Team Hopes for Substantial Success
GettySafety Kevin Byard, formerly of the Tennessee Titans.
That said, Byard garnered a two-year deal worth $15 million from the Bears and will presumably step into a starting role immediately barring injury.
Over the course of his career, Byard has appeared in 130 games and started 121 of those. He has also tallied 749 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss, 66 pass breakups, 28 INTs, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown.
Chicago is a trendy pick to make the playoffs given all the high-profile additions to the offense over the past several months, but how well Byard can anchor the secondary amid flaws on the frontline of the defense will go a long way toward determining the Bears’ team success in 2024.