Bears Called Out For Major Offseason Overpay

The Chicago Bears were one of the busier teams this offseason as they hired new coordinators, overhauled their offense with talent through the 2024 NFL draft and free agency, and re-signed star cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a four-year extension.

If you are a Bears fan, you must be excited about what general manager Ryan Poles has done with the roster as there should be no excuses why Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus can’t lead this team to an above .500 record and potential playoff spot.

However, not everybody was a fan of the Bears' moves this offseason. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report published a story last week ranking some of the worst decisions this offseason in the NFL.

Leading off Kay’s list was none other than the Bears overpaying veteran safety Kevin Byard, who spent last season with the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. Byard struggled in his short time with the Eagles in 2023. But it didn’t matter to the Bears, who signed him to a two-year, $15 million contract.

Here’s what Kay had to say about Chicago’s massive overpay at the safety spot:

"“The 30-year-old Byard is a two-time first-team All-Pro, but he struggled mightily during his recent stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Byard allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 103.3 passer rating (which ranked 66th out of 92 safeties who played at least 200 snaps in 2023) and complete 75 percent of their throws (ranking 77th) during his short tenure in Philly. ""

It was no secret that Byard struggled statistically against the pass last season. However, as we saw last season, the entire Eagles’ defense struggled under the direction of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.

Nonetheless, maybe there’s hope Byard isn’t on the downside of his career despite being 31 years old when the season kicks off. However, the outlook doesn’t look great for the former Titans safety, who is replacing Eddie Jackson. Jackson was released by the Bears in February, freeing up $12.56 million in cap space.

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