***LAKE FOREST, Ill.,***— As the Chicago Bears begin looking toward free agency and the NFL Scouting Combine, the front office and coaching staff will still have a plethora of decisions to make about veterans who were with the team in 2025, a list that includes veteran safety Kevin Byard.
Set to be 33-years old before the start of the 2026 season, Byard is set to be a free agent in 2026 and the Bears face an important decision with his future. Two years ago, prior to the start of free agency, the Bears inked Byard to a two-year deal worth $15M. With a cap hit of $8.5M in 2025, he found a way to earn every penny of his salary throughout the 2025 season, being one of the league's leader in interceptions.
Let's get into our hold 'em or fold 'em for the veteran safety
The case for keeping Byard
With the Bears looking to retool the defense in 2026, it's hard to ignore Byard's consistency and production. In a banged up secondary that saw the Bears start multiple defensive backs, Byard started all 17 games and totaled seven interceptions, the second-highest total of his career en route to a Pro Bowl appearance while being named First Team All-Pro. In 2024, he also started all 17 games for the Bears, proving that durability isn't an issue and that as long as he's on the field, he will always find a way to make plays.
Establishing continuity on defense will be paramount for the Bears in 2026, and retaining Byard means that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have another highly successful veteran to rely on. As the Bears try to figure out what the future of fourth-year safety Jaquan Brisker is, bringing Byard back would mean whoever plays strong safety next season will have an excellent mentor playing alongside them.
In Allen's scheme, Byard's natural playmaking abilities came to life. His communication on the third level of the defense provided the secondary with a chance to play more freely. He only blitzed off the edge six times during the entire regular season and allowed just 33 passes to be completed.
The case against keeping Byard
For the Bears, figuring out a way to get younger on defense means moving on from aging veterans. As mentioned above, Byard will be 33 years old by the start of next season and the Bears will seriously have to evaluate whether or not he deserves a second contract with the team. Giving him an extension means that the Bears are confident he will replicate his performance from the 2025 season into the 2026 season but also, that he will manage to stay healthy and play all 17 games for a third straight year. Durability is one his side as he's missed just one career game.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be important for the Bears, as is keeping the future in perspective. With April's draft projected to have a strong draft class, the Bears could decide that selecting a player almost a decade younger than Byard could be an option, especially since it'd provide the team with a cheaper, higher-upside option through the end of the 2029 season.
Final verdict
Hold 'Em. The front office needs to free up cap space in 2026 but giving one of the most productive players on defense a contract extension is rewarding him for putting together a really successful season in 2025. The Bears will need to be wise with Byard as this could be his final contract which means that he should earn a team-friendly deal with an easy out going into next season. That could mean another two-year deal that sees him make at least $9.5M per season, giving him a nice little pay increase with some incentives put into the deal, giving him a chance to make a little bit more money.
"I think that (DB) Kevin (Byard III) is a special player, I have no problem saying that that is a player that we would like to have back," said general manager Ryan Poles.
Not a VIP subscriber to the Bear Report? Sign up now to get access to everything publisher Zack Pearson and the entire Bear Report team have to offer on all things Chicago Bears and access to the No. 1 site covering the team!