One of the reasons the Chicago Bears have had a lot of success this season has been due to their defense creating turnovers. The Bears’ defense currently leads the NFL in takeaways (30) and interceptions (21).
Bears veteran safety Kevin Byard has played a significant role in the team’s high turnover rate, as he leads the NFL with six interceptions. The 32-year-old defender has seemingly turned back the clock, playing at a Pro Bowl level, which is what Bears fans want to see.
However, Byard isn’t the only player in the secondary who has played well this year. His running mate, Jaquan Brisker, has stayed healthy and been good in the box. This was the best case for the Bears coming into this season. But now, they’ll have to decide which guy they want to keep in 2026 as both are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
Byard and Brisker bring different things to the table as safeties, making this not an easy answer on who to re-sign. On Tuesday, former NFL tight end and CHSN analyst Clay Harbor asked fans on Twitter which player they want Chicago to retain.
A good number of Bears fans responded with the older Byard, as they believe he’ll be cheaper to re-sign due to his age, plus the injury factor with Brisker.
Bears Fans Want Chicago to Bring Back Kevin Byard in 2026
Even though Byard is 32 years old and will be 33 next season, it's hard to dispute what he’s done in Dennis Allen’s scheme.
The veteran safety is playing like the guy we saw at the start of his career with the Tennessee Titans. In addition to his six interceptions, Byard has racked up 74 combined tackles, 7 pass deflections, and 4 tackles for loss across 14 games.
Byard has also held his own in pass coverage, as opponents are only completing 61.4 percent of their targets against him. Now, the veteran safety has allowed five receiving TDs, but he also boasts a 92.8 passer rating, which is a vast improvement from his first year in the Windy City (116.8).
If the Bears were to go down this route with Byard, they have to be smart about it. At this stage in his career, his play can take a nosedive at a moment’s notice. Therefore, if they could get him back on a short, team-friendly deal for two years, it might be worth it.
However, the Bears will still need to find Byard’s replacement in the NFL draft and must re-sign CJ Gardner-Johnson to fill the void left by Brisker. Gardner-Johnson isn’t the greatest in pass coverage, but he’s a ballhawk and isn’t afraid to come up and make a tackle, making him the best option to replace Brisker.
It will be an interesting offseason to see what the Bears ultimately do in the secondary. Along with Byard and Brisker, they got to figure out what to do with Nahshon Wright, who is also scheduled to be a free agent. Based on how Wright has played this season, he’s due for a pay raise. The Bears will have to be strategic with their moves as their contending window is clearly here.