Getty Eagles WR A.J. Brown is excited to be reunited with former teammate Kevin Byard.
A.J. Brown is thrilled to be reunited with former teammate Kevin Byard.
The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver spent three seasons with Byard in Tennessee, from 2019 until 2021. After the Eagles added Byard via trade on October 23, multiple players took to social media to express their thoughts.
Both Brown and starting cornerback Darius Slay were clearly excited to see Byard joining their ranks.
“LFG,” Brown wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) after news of the trade broke. “Big Play” Slay also chimed in: “Just got better let’s work @KevinByard yes sir!!!”
Philadelphia Eagles Get a Great One in Kevin Byard
Kevin Byard: 92.3 coverage grade since 2020
Highest among ALL DBs 🥇
The Eagles are STACKED 👀
The Eagles sent former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Terrell Edmunds and 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Byard. It’s a steal, considering what the team will get in return for his services.
The All-Pro safety should give Philly’s secondary a big boost. Byard, 30, is in his eighth season. The two-time All-Pro has 120 starts over his career. In that span, he has accumulated 674 tackles (15 for loss), 19 QB hits, 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, 63 pass breakups and 27 interceptions.
Per PFF, he has allowed 205 catches on 306 targets over his career (that’s a 67.0 reception percentage). He has allowed 23 touchdowns in coverage over his career. He’s also an excellent run defender. It’s easy to see why Slay, Brown and company are glad to have him.
At present, Philadelphia’s safeties room is talented but banged up. Reed Blankenship has been dealing with an injury to his ribs. Justin Evans is currently on injured reserve. Sydney Brown is talented, but he’s still a rookie. Adding Byard to a secondary that already includes All-Pro talent in Slay and corner James Bradberry is another huge win for the Eagles.
Darius Slay & Kevin Byard Have Fun Exchange on Social Media After Trade
After news of the trade began to spread, Byard and Slay had an exchange on X Philly that fans will love to see. “Always admired your game from a far, now we teammates! Let’s go win it all this year!,” Byard wrote in response to Slay’s initial greeting.
Not to be outdone, Big Play hollered back: “Let’s get it!!! Much respect for your game. It’s a blessing to get a chance to share the field with ya!” Slay replied.
Byard also took to social media to pen a message to Titans Kingdom.
“I was fortunate to have two incredible head coaches in Mike Mularkey and Mike Vrabel. Their leadership helped shape the player and person I am today, and I’ll carry those lessons throughout my career,” Byard wrote.
“Thank you to my assistant coaches, strength staff, doctors, trainers, support staff, Titans employees, cafeteria workers, custodians, media and everyone who has helped me along the way,” Byard added.
“I see y’all putting in work every day, and we couldn’t do this without you. I’m grateful for all of my teammates – my brothers – who had my back, kept me in check and pushed me to be better. It’s been an honor to play alongside you these 7+ years. Most special thanks go out to Titans fans. You embraced my family and me with open arms from day one, and it’s a blessing to be a part of this community.”
Now, Byard has a new fan base ready to cheer him on. He had a message for Eagles Nation, too:
With that being said… @Eagles it’s up!! 🦅🦅 #FlyEaglesFly
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A.J. Brown, Darius Slay Have Strong Reactions to Kevin Byard Trade