It’s been said that Father Time waits for no one.
Maybe Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard is an exception.
Byard, 32, has been one of the best safeties and best defensive backs in the NFL this season. He is leading the NFL in interceptions with six, helping lead the Bears to an NFL-leading 17 interceptions entering Sunday’s showdown against the Green Bay Packers.
“He’s just a true pro” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen told reporters this week. “He’s seen a lot of football. I think he’s done a really good job for us in a leadership role, being the voice for the back end of the defense, in particular. He understands what his strengths are and understands where he’s got to work to try to continue to improve.
“But I think the big thing for him is, and he’s got great ball skills and he has got really good instincts. So, he’s searching out opportunities to go make plays and when they’ve presented themselves, he’s made them. I think that’s what you have to be able to do.”
Byard has added seven passes defensed to his impressive interception total and is second on the team with 65 tackles. More than just a ballhawk, he’s a quality run defender and perennially is one of the best tacklers at the position.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was the Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2018, when Byard was coming off a first-team All-Pro season in Tennessee.
“Very, very intelligent football player,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, very talented, too. You’re not going to fool him at all. He does a really good job holding disguises, knowing where he needs to get to, has a good idea, is able to anticipate routes and route concepts. That’s a big reason why he has six interceptions on the season, leading the league. He’s a guy I’ve got a ton of respect for.”
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) fumbles the ball after being hit by Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III last season. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Byard is coming off a great game against the reigning Super Bowl-champion Eagles on Black Friday. He had six tackles and grabbed his sixth interception and seventh pass defensed in the statement win.
While Byard and the Bears have been great at flying around the field and forcing turnovers, the Packers may be the perfect matchup to bring them back down to Earth. The Packers are at the top of the league in taking care of the ball.
Jordan Love has thrown the second-lowest number of interceptions this season with three behind Jalen Hurts, who threw his second against the Bears last week. He hasn’t thrown an interception in his last four games. Love has made giant strides after throwing 11 interceptions in each of his first two seasons as the starter.
“Yeah, it’s something that we’ve harped on all season, so we’ve got to go out there and do a great job of just protecting the ball,” Love said, “And that’s everybody. That’s me, the receivers, the running back, tight ends – anybody that’s carrying the ball. They’re No. 1 in the league at creating turnovers and getting interceptions.
“They do a good job. Their DBs are aware of the ball and they’re making plays when it is in the air. So, obviously a great group of DBs over there, but it just comes down to us, being smart with the decisions and take care of it at all times.”
Love will need to be at his best against this ball-hawking Bears secondary with Byard leading the way. While they haven’t been able to stop opposing offenses from gaining yards and scoring against them, their ability to force turnovers has brought them to the top spot in the NFC.
Byard is second among active players with 35 interceptions, behind only Harrison Smith. Byard and Smith are the only active players with 900-plus tackles and 25-plus interceptions in their careers.
With one more interception, he would become the first defensive back with 10-plus years of experience to intercept seven passes in a season since Charles Woodson did for the Packers in 2011. Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright became the first set of teammates with five-plus interceptions through 11 games since Woodson and Nick Collins for the Packers in 2008.
If the Packers want to hold the top spot in the NFC after Sunday’s rivalry game, it will start with keeping the ball in the hands of the offense, and Byard can become a real problem in that aspect. This is his fifth season of five-plus interceptions but his first since being an All-Pro for the Titans in 2021.
“I’m being put in position where I’m playing to my strengths, being able to be further back in the defense, being able to read routes and being a ballhawk. (It’s) what I’ve always been in my career,” Byard told ChicagoBears.com.
“No matter where you put me on the field, I’m going to be productive. I’m just producing more interceptions because of what I’m being asked to do.”
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