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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: Kevin Byard III #31 of the Chicago Bears walks out of the tunnel before the game against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have a lot of crucial decisions to make, especially when it comes to attempting to re-sign safety Kevin Byard.
“I think the clear one is safety,” general manager Ryan Poles said regarding addressing positions of need during this offseason. “All four guys are up, and Kevin is one of the leaders on our team, so he’s a guy that we are interested in bringing back, and from there it’s a domino effect of what we can and can’t do, but we’ll start with our own and build off into free agency.”
Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions and was named First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. It’s no secret he wants to re-sign with the Bears.
“If all else is fair and all else is equal, everything is equal, then I would love to come back to the Bears,” Byard said. “The city, the organization has embraced myself and my family. We had such a great year this year.”
And according to David Kaplan of ESPN1000, there’s a good chance Byard is back with the Bears next season.
Bears Receive Favorable News on Retaining Kevin Byard
According to Kaplan, there’s a 70/30 chance Byard will re-sign with the Bears.
“Kevin Byard I was told by somebody who would know, that he is 70/30 that he’s going to be a Bear. They’re working on it. They’re trying to get a deal done that’s fair for both sides. How do you not give this guy a raise? I know he’s in his 30s, but he’s First Team All-Pro. Played in an amazing level. And then you’re gonna have to pair him probably with a young safety unless there is a veteran out there that they can make a deal to take on some of his money, or perhaps there is a veteran safety that gets released for salary cap reasons.”
It’s important to note that 1. Kaplan wouldn’t just say something like that without any sources and 2. Kaplan has worked with Byard over the last two years on Byard’s Intercepted podcast, so he has a close connection with him.
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Addressing Safety Shouldn’t Be A Concern
Byard will likely get a pay raise, but it might not be as much as some people expect. After signing a two-year, $15 million deal back in 2024, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes he could get a pay bump from $7.5 million APY to around $10 million.
“I get the sense there’s optimism a deal can be struck after his All-Pro season. After he earned $15 million over the last two seasons, I’d expect Byard to get a raise, maybe close to $10 million annually.”
NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah also had this to say about the free safety market during the NFL Combine: “Hey Charles [Davis], I got a text from a personnel buddy it said, ‘Tough day for free-agent free safeties.’”
With all this said, it’s highly unlikely the Bears re-sign Jaquan Brisker, who was a second-round draft pick back in 2022.
“I don’t believe the Bears will try to re-sign him,” Biggs added regarding Brisker. “He should have a healthy market, but this is a position where there are always ample choices with experience.”
Kaplan mentioned the Bears potentially pairing Byard with another veteran safety, but with the team tight on money, the most likely case will be drafting a safety.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has the Bears taking Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley in the second round, writing, “Safety is arguably the Bears’ top need, as their top four safeties from last season are not under contract. Wheatley is an underrated free safety who can play atop the defense, but isn’t afraid of coming downhill in run support.”
The Bears’ plan at safety is starting to become clearer as free agency nears the corner.
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