Despite finishing 2024 with a 5-12 record and firing Matt Eberflus, the Chicago Bears’ future is bright. They hired Ben Johnson to be their next head coach, and the team invested heavily in its offense this offseason. The offense is looking better, but one defensive star has more uncertainty heading into 2025.

Bears Safety Understands Yearly Contract Situation
Chicago’s defense was a bright spot in 2024. The unit finished 13th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, despite a late-season dip in performance, mostly thanks to propping up a struggling offense. The Bears also finished with the third-best defensive EPA per dropback, fitting for one of the NFL’s elite secondaries.
The secondary is intact heading into 2025 with Tyrique Stevenson, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon all returning. Byard is the group’s elder statesman, and the soon-to-be 10-year veteran knows his role despite a shaky contract situation.
Byard signed a two-year, $15 million contract with Chicago in the 2024 offseason, but hasn’t had any “real talks” about an extension. The 2016 third-round pick recently spoke to the media, and NFL writer Coral Smith broke down his comments.
“I put everything, my heart and my soul into this year, to this team, to this group of guys, and then we revisit those things in the offseason. I would love to be here long term, to finish my career with the Chicago Bears. That’s all I’m focused on right now,” Byard said.
“Like I said, for me personally, I would love to be here. I’ve loved being here over the last year and going forward. This thing is year-to-year, and honestly, it’s probably going to be year-to-year for the rest of my career until I’m done playing. Regardless of whatever kind of contract I signed, this is always going to be year-to-year.”
Byard began his career with the Tennessee Titans and earned a first-team All-Pro selection twice throughout his time with the organization. In the 2023 campaign, midway through his eighth season, Tennessee traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. In return, the Titans received two 2024 draft picks (fifth and sixth-rounders) along with Terrell Edmunds.
Departing in the offseason, he landed in Chicago the following year.
In his second NFL season, Byard made All-Pro after posting 87 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and eight interceptions (led the league). Byard’s next All-Pro campaign was in 2021, finishing with 88 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and five interceptions.
He finished his first season in Chicago with a career-high 130 tackles, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Byard is still a quality veteran presence in Chicago’s secondary and will need to be a stalwart for new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.