The first Pro Bowl safety available via 2024 free agency has found his next destination, as Kevin Byard is off to the Chicago Bears through a two-year deal he agreed to on Sunday.
Byard was in a free agent class featuring Justin Simmons and Antoine Winfield Jr. as past Pro Bowl safeties. Byard’s deal won’t officially clear until Wednesday when the league’s 2024 season officially begins. But here are the details involving what the two-time Pro Bowler will make.
How Much Will Chicago Pay Kevin Byard?
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports was the first to report that Byard and the Bears said yes to a two-year contract. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, that future deal is said to be worth $15 million.
With this new deal, Byard will be expected to make $7.5 million annually suiting up for the Bears. It’s a different financial impact from what the defender, now entering his ninth NFL season, was making previously with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Byard was an Oct. 2023 midseason trade from the Tennessee Titans to Philly. At the time, the Eagles took on the remainder of his two-year, $25.1 million contract he previously signed with the AFC South team.
Along with the $25.1 million, Byard had a $7 million signing bonus and the same amount guaranteed. His average salary was set at $12.5 million, but his dead cap was set at $711,000.
Byard also took a pay cut when he signed his previous two-year contract in Nashville, Tenn. He was previously given a five-year contract worth $70.5 million — which he signed in 2019. That came two years after his first All-Pro nod when he led the league in interceptions with eight.
Byard Part of Huge Defensive Spending Spree in Chicago
The general manager/head coach tandem of Ryan Poles/Matt Eberflus has emphasized putting its money into building the Bears’ defense.
Noted on Thursday, Chicago has spent a whopping $240 million on key defensive pieces since March 2023, and every move was to address all three levels of the defense.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was the first move last March, locking in a four-year, $72 million deal. Then along came Montez Sweat as a 2023 midseason trade — with Poles and the Bears handing him a $98 million contract.
KEEP READING: NFL Free Agency Tracker 2024
Then ahead of the ’24 free agency period, before adding Byard, Chicago made sure Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson wouldn’t drift off. Johnson agreed to a blockbuster $76 million deal that will officially go into effect on Wednesday.
Now, Byard comes in to provide a needed veteran presence in the safety room. Byard brings 28 career interceptions in tow for a Bears unit that picked off 22 interceptions last season. He’s additionally produced 749 total tackles, including 514 solo throughout his career.
Chicago will soon become Byard’s third NFL stop since 2023.
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