Getty New Bears free safety Kevin Byard.
The Chicago Bears have found an All-Pro replacement for free safety Eddie Jackson heading into the official start of 2024 NFL free agency this week.
On March 10, the Bears signed two-time All-Pro free safety Kevin Byard to a two-year contract that — according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport — is worth $15 million. The 30-year-old had visited with the Bears twice before the team announced his signing.
Byard has been one of the most consistent deep-field defenders in the league over the past several years despite a disappointing half-season in Philadelphia to close out 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, he has averaged an 80.0 run-defense grade over his eight seasons in the league. He has also been an accomplished ballhawk, leading the league in interceptions (eight) in 2017 and recording 28 picks total over his career.
The Bears have been on the hunt for a new free safety since releasing Jackson — a seven-year starter — on February 15 for roughly $12.6 million in salary-cap relief. Now, they have found a veteran replacement who will cost them significantly less over the two years of his deal than Jackson would have cost ($18.1 million) in 2023 alone.
Because the Eagles released Byard, the Bears were allowed to negotiate with him and sign him before the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 15.
Kevin Byard Fits What Matt Eberflus Wants at Safety
Byard is not coming off the most decorated finish to the 2023 season. The Eagles had pried him away from the Titans for backup safety Terrell Edmunds and two Day 3 draft picks, but their secondary got worse upon his arrival and never quite figured things out.
Still, it is easy to see what the Bears like about Byard. They are not getting younger at the position — Byard is about four months older than Jackson — but they are getting someone who has been more consistently available for their secondary. He has started 121 games over the past eight seasons and missed just one game throughout his career.
Byard’s resume as an athletic ballhawk also seems to fit what head coach Matt Eberflus said he wanted for the position during the 2024 NFL Combine in February.
Byard’s resume as an athletic ballhawk and a leadership figure for Tennessee’s defense also fits what head coach Matt Eberflus said he wanted at the 2024 NFL Combine.
“The guy that we would be looking for has to have athletic ability, he’s got to have range, he’s got to have great communication skills, he’s got to have ball skills,” Eberflus said on February 26.
Byard also has leadership qualities that should not be understated. He was a five-time captain for the Titans before his trade. A.J. Brown, his former teammate in both stops, has also credited Byard with helping inspire Brown to embrace his own leadership role. The Bears ought to love that about Byard, especially considering he will now share their deep field with a third-year rising star in strong safety Jaquan Brisker.
Despite New Signing, Bears Could Still Draft a Safety
The Bears now have a presumptive starter at free safety in Kevin Byard, but his signing does not necessarily mean the team is going to avoid the position in the 2024 draft.
Byard is a solid signing who could replace — or, hopefully, exceed — what Jackson brought to the table in Chicago’s secondary, but he is also halfway to his 31st birthday and is playing on a contract that is dumpable if he struggles for the Bears in 2024. From a roster-building standpoint, it just makes sense for the Bears to explore their options for getting younger and more stable at the position for the long term.
Even if Byard does work out, the Bears have reasons to invest in another safety in the NFL draft. They have Elijah Hicks and Quindell Johnson on their roster as backup options, but neither has played well enough to have a solidified spot in the rotation. Should the right target fall to the Bears in the third round or later, drafting him to fill the No. 3 safety role and developing behind the scenes could yield long-term gains.