The Chicago Bears are officially on track to say goodbye to top pending free agent and All-Pro safety Kevin Byard III when the 2026 league year begins amid the latest news from the NFL’s legal tampering period for free agency.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the New England Patriots have agreed to terms on a one-year, $9 million contract with Byard — the 2025 NFL interceptions leader (seven) — in a deal that will take away one of Chicago’s top defensive players.
Byard, 32, started every game for the Bears over the course of the two-year, $15 million contract that he signed in 2024 and was particularly outstanding in 2025, recording 93 tackles, four tackles for loss and eight pass breakups along with his league-leading pick total. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and his third Pro Bowl selection in 10 years.
Despite Byard’s All-Pro campaign, though, the Bears put writing on the wall that his time in Chicago was coming to an end when they agreed to terms on a three-year, $40 million contract with Seattle Seahawks standout free safety Coby Bryant on March 9.
“[The] Bears lose their interceptions and locker room leader ot the Patriots,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote Wednesday on X. “GM Ryan Poles said this offseason that Byard was a player the team wanted to re-sign after 2 seasons. But after paying a premium for Coby Bryant, it appears Chicago wasn’t willing to keep spending at safety.
“So the Bears lose two starters from their secondary in Byard and CB Nahshon Wright.”
Bears Re-Sign Backup Safety Elijah Hicks for 2026
The Bears might not have brought back Byard as the leading man in their safety room, but they did re-sign one of their four pending free-agent safeties — 2022 seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks — before his contract officially expired at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
“The Bears added to the depth chart by securing a deal to re-sign Elijah Hicks, according to a league source,” The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reported on March 11.
Hicks played more than 1,000 defensive snaps over his first three seasons in Chicago before the new coaching staff relegated him to primarily a special teams role in 2025. Even still, Hicks has quality experience as a young backup safety and finished with the team’s third-most special teams tackles (14) last season, underscoring his versatility.
Bears Seem Intent on New Personnel at Safety in 2026
The Bears have not yet locked in any of their new addition. The free-agent negotiating period opened at noon ET on Monday, March 9, but rules only allow teams to agree to terms with outside free agents until free agency formally begins at 4 p.m. on March 11.
Based on reports, though, their safety position will look considerably different in 2026.
While Byard is heading to New England and Hicks is staying in Chicago, the Bears are also scheduled to see strong safety Jaquan Brisker and veteran backup Jonathan Owens hit unrestricted free agency at the start of the new league year if no deals are sorted out.
Additionally, the Bears already seem to have found a replacement for Owens. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they agreed to terms on a two-year deal with former Buffalo Bills safety Cam Lewis on Tuesday, March 10, supplying their roster with more depth.
The Bears could still add more depth, or maybe even another starter, in free agency, but it seems more likely at this point that they will turn to the NFL draft to fill out the rest of their safety position for the 2026 season. Either way, it is a new-look deep field.
Bears Lose All-Pro Starter to $9 Million Deal With AFC Contender