Bears Add Veteran Safety
The Bears have replaced Eddie Jackson with a player a little more experienced and at less than half the cost.
Kevin Byard agreed to a two-year contract worth what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported to be $15 million.
Jackson was cut when he was scheduled to have a cap cost of $18.14 million against this year's salary cap.
Byard has been relatively healthy throughout his career and played in all but one game last year even though he was traded at midseason from Tennessee to Philadelphia. He has played in every of his career except Week 7 last year when he was traded to the Eagles.
Byard had visited the Bears on Friday. Philadelphia cut Byard for cap reasons on March 1 after he played last season in only 10 .games plus one playoff game, clearing $13 million in space.
The 30-year-old, 5-foot-11, 212-pounder made the Pro Bowl and was All-Pro last in 2021. He also did it in 2017. He came into the league in 2016 as a third-round pick by the Titans out of Middle Tennessee State.
Philadelphia traded safety Terrell Edmunds plus fifth- and sixth-round draft picks to get Byard last year.
Byard has 28 career interceptions and 66 pass defenses. He led the NFL in 2017 with eight interceptions.
The Bears can team Byard with third-year safety Jaquan Brisker. They also have Elijah Hicks and Quindell Johnson as backups to the starters.
At the very least, it removes safety from among the most pressing needs for the Bears in the draft, although they could select one for depth purposes or an eventual replacement for Byard.
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