Kevin Byard

Kevin Byard

30-Year-Old SafetyS
Chicago Bears
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Byard might be the most reliable defender in the league from a fantasy perspective. Since being drafted in the third round in 2016, he has yet to miss a game, and the last six seasons he's played more than 1,000 snaps every year while recording 84 to 111 tackles and snagging at least four interceptions five times. At some point that workload might catch up to him, but as yet there's been no signs that the foundation of the Titans' secondary is beginning to crack. As long as he's healthy, his role in Mike Vrabel's defense won't change. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#Subscriber-Only
IDP
$Signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Bears in March of 2024.
Finds work in Chicago
SChicago Bears
March 10, 2024
Byard and the Bears agreed Sunday on a two-year, $15 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
In Chicago, Byard should settle in as the team's starting free safety as a replacement for Eddie Jackson, whom the Bears released in February. Between stops with the Titans and Eagles last season, Byard recorded a career-high 122 tackles in 16 games, but the historically ball-hawking defensive back recorded just two turnovers (one interception, one fumble recovery). Heading into his age-31 season in 2024, Byard's best years are most likely behind him, but his addition should still help bolster a Bears secondary that was often leaky in 2023.
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NFL Stats
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Chicago BearsBears 2023 S Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

86684%
62861%
46745%
808%
333%
61%
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2023 Kevin Byard Split Stats
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Visits Chicago on Friday
SFree Agent
March 9, 2024
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Bears hosted Byard, who registered a career-high 122 tackles in 2023, on Friday.
ANALYSIS
The Eagles acquired Byard from the Titans near the trade deadline, but Philadelphia opted to release the safety March 1 in a move that saved the team $13 million in cap space. The Bears solidified their secondary by re-signing 2023 second-team All-Pro corner Jaylon Johnson to a four-year, $76 million extension Thursday. Adding a veteran safety like Byard could improve a Chicago defense that gave up 237.8 passing yards per game last season, which was eighth most in the NFL.
See All NFL Rumors
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2016
Byard probably can’t match the tackle production of the top defensive back IDPs, but he’s no slouch in that regard and is otherwise one of the league’s best safeties. Last year, Byard logged his second five-interception season in three years, giving him 23 interceptions over his last five years. He also has 53 passes defended in the last five years.
Rank Byard higher than this in leagues that reward well for interceptions, just realize that his 111 tackles from last year — a career high by 21 — don't appear likely to repeat. The Titans defense fell apart and Byard had to clean up more messes than usual, but he normally plays more of a center-field role than a tackle machine up front. By the same token it must be noted that Byard normally does much more in coverage than he did last year — his one interception from 2020 is a stark outlier considering his 17 interceptions in the three prior seasons.
It'd normally be reckless to target a defensive back IDP who projects for fewer than 90 tackles, but Byard poses an exception, especially in leagues that award extra points for interceptions. He has 17 interceptions in his last 3,244 snaps, which is consistent with the production he showed at Middle Tennessee State, where he intercepted 19 passes in 49 games. As much as he's still vulnerable to regression, this seems to be who he is. He's probably due for a higher tackle rate than what he showed in 2019, when he averaged 0.0754 tackles per snap last year, as opposed to 0.0831 over the two years prior. It's a difference that would amount to about nine more tackles on last year's 1,114-snap workload.
In an era with many emerging standout safeties, Byard may be the unchallenged leader of them all when it comes to coverage ability. He's perhaps the most feared ballhawk in the league after picking off 12 passes the last two years. His tackle production could regress despite its initial modesty (177 in the last two years), but Byard is a rare case where the interception production appears bankable. It's the same thing he did in college at Middle Tennessee, where he intercepted an absurd 19 passes, including four returned for touchdowns.
No safety in the NFL pounces on the ball like Byard, whose eight interceptions and 16 passes defensed last year were forewarned by his superb college production at Middle Tennessee, where he snatched 19 interceptions in four years, returning four for touchdowns. His IDP utility isn't interception-dependent, however, as his 87 tackles from last year play in mainstream IDP scenarios, too. Eight interceptions a year is too much to ask, but Byard should rank at or near the top in the category most years going forward.
The 2016 third-rounder joins a deep group of safeties that includes presumed starters Da’Norris Searcy and Rashad Johnson, as well as Daimion Stafford, Marqueston Huff and Josh Aubrey. Byard’s 19 interceptions at Middle Tennessee State indicate that he possesses elite ball skills, but the Titans have the resources to bring him along slowly as he makes the adjustment from Conference USA to the NFL. While he’ll make the roster, expectations should be tempered for the rookie.
More Fantasy News
Cut by Philadelphia
SFree Agent
March 1, 2024
Philadelphia will release Byard on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Records career-high 122 tackles
SPhiladelphia Eagles
January 20, 2024
Byard finished the year with career highs in tackles (122) and solo tackles (80) in 16 regular-season games.
ANALYSIS
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Double-digit tackles in loss
SPhiladelphia Eagles
January 1, 2024
Byard had 11 tackles (eight solo) in Sunday's 35-31 loss to the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Leading tackler vs. Bills
SPhiladelphia Eagles
November 28, 2023
Byard recorded 13 tackles (nine solo) in Sunday's 37-34 overtime win versus Buffalo.
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Will suit up Sunday
SPhiladelphia Eagles
October 29, 2023
Byard is active for Sunday's Week 8 contest against Washington.
ANALYSIS
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