The Chicago Bears' secondary has suffered several losses since free agency started, including when safety Kevin Byard signed with the New England Patriots. A leader in the Chicago secondary, Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions last season, but when given the choice to stay with the Bears or head to the Patriots, he jumped at the chance to reunite with his former head coach Mike Vrabel.
With Vrabel in the fold and a repeat trip to the Super Bowl in mind, Byard likely had more running through his head than the $7 million he’ll make on his one-year contract with the Patriots. With that in mind, the grass may not be as green as he expects with New England at risk of a hangover year.
Bears Poised to Continue Success Despite Kevin Byard’s Departure
Byard appears to be walking into a great situation in New England. Aside from Vrabel on the sideline, the Patriots have an emerging young quarterback in Drake Maye and a defense that ranked fourth in scoring at 18.8 points per game and 15th with 5.2 yards allowed per play.
Those numbers don’t look as impressive when you consider who they played.
The Patriots enjoyed a Downy-soft schedule last season, ripping through an NFC South division that didn’t have a single team finish over .500 last season. New England also acted as the Grim Reaper for those on the hot seat, with nine of its 14 opponents having a head coach who got fired either during or at the end of the 2025 season.
After running into three more advantageous matchups on the way to the Super Bowl, the Patriots finally bowed out to a superior team in the Seattle Seahawks. While they played the schedule given to them, their 2026 slate appears much more difficult, including the NFC North, which didn’t have a team below .500 last season, and road games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seahawks.
In addition, the Patriots’ defense will have to do some heavy lifting. They haven’t upgraded their offense outside of overpaying Romeo Doubs, and while TreVeyon Henderson is an explosive playmaker in the backfield, it will be on Maye to play “Hero Ball” unless they make a blockbuster trade for A.J. Brown.
This is a much different scenario than the one he would have returned to in Chicago. The Bears will also face a tougher schedule next season, including two passes through the NFC North, a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and a road game against the Seahawks.
On the flip side, they’ll also face the NFC South and could wind up contending again in 2026.
Although the Bears' secondary also lost Jaquan Brisker, they added depth along the defensive line, cleared Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III for takeoff after trading DJ Moore, and have their own emerging quarterback in Caleb Williams. They also have one of the league’s best rushing attacks with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, helping keep the defense off the field until it’s needed.
Put it together, and Byard may regret leaving a great situation with the Bears. In fact, that feeling could sink in early in 2026 as both teams look to capitalize on last year’s success.