The Chicago Bears signed two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in free agency, and he offers more than just talent to the secondary; he also brings a hard-nosed mindset.
During his inaugural news conference on Thursday, March 14, Byard demonstrated an amazing grasp of Chicago’s defence before giving a direct message to the NFC North Division champion Detroit Lions.
Kevin Byard claims that because he has watched so much film, he already understands a lot of the Bears secondary. Identifying players by name and attributes. Says he’s known Montez Sweat since high school. Byard’s purpose for joining the Bears defence is to “knock out Detroit.”
“Kevin Byard thinks he already knows a lot of the Bears secondary because of how much film he’s seen. “Naming players by name and their characteristics.” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported on X. “He claims to know Montez Sweat from high school (Sweat attended Byard’s rival HS). Byard’s ambition in joining the Bears defence? “Knock Detroit off their high horse.”
Kevin Byard plays at a high level when he joins the Bears’ secondary
Byard is an eight-year veteran who spent the first seven and a half seasons of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans. The team chose him in the third round of the 2016 draft.
In 2017, when he led the league with eight interceptions, the safety received his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honours. Byard received the same honours in 2021, following the Titans’ third consecutive playoff appearance.
Tennessee dealt Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of last year’s mid-season trade deadline, and Philly cut him this offseason in the interest of saving $13 million against the salary cap. Byard, who will play the upcoming campaign at 31 years old, subsequently signed a two-year deal worth $15 million to join the Bears.
Over the course of his professional tenure Byard has amassed 749 tackles, 66 pass breakups and 28 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference. He has started 121 of 130 regular-season games over the last eight seasons, missing only one contest during that time.
According to Pro Football Focus, Byard played over 1,100 defensive snaps in 2023 and was an excellent run defender from his position. According to PFF’s advanced analytics measure, he was also solid in coverage and decent as a pass rusher in limited play.
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