Bears Starter Triggers Heated Fight With Dolphins: ‘He’s a Little Boy’

The Chicago Bears joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on August 9 turned fiery when veteran safety Kevin Byard got into a heated skirmish that had teammates and coaches rushing to separate the two sides.

Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald detailed what happened.

“Kevin Byard II didn’t like how Dee Eskridge blocked him during one of the final red zone snaps for the Miami Dolphins’ first-team offense so the Chicago Bears’ starting safety grabbed the receiver’s facemask and tried to snatch his helmet off,” Kelly wrote, adding: “Fists began flying instantly.”

The Bears’ veteran safety also had his own explanation for the incident, via Kelly:

“I made sure I had him and let him know that he’s a little boy,” Byard said.

Byard Is Entering His 10th NFL Season

GettyBears safety Kevin Byard started a fight in practice against the Miami Dolphins.

Byard’s NFL career reads like a masterclass in longevity and durability. Drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2016, he made a name for himself in 2017 with a league-leading eight interceptions, earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

He was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler again in 2021, a season in which he scored TDs on an interception and a fumble recovery. Across nine seasons, he’s logged 29 interceptions in 147 regular season games, never missing more than one game in nine years.

After a mid-2023 trade from the Titans to the Eagles, Philadelphia released Byard in March 2024 for cap relief, and Chicago quickly pounced, agreeing to a two-year deal that brought veteran leadership to a young secondary.

Byard rewarded that bet in 2024 with a solid season: 17 starts, a career-high 130 total tackles (80 solo), two sacks, an interception, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, five tackles for loss and two QB hits.

His veteran savvy really showed up in situational moments, as he played well for the Bears in 3rd-and-medium downs, in the red zone and in two-minute situations last year.

Kevin Byard’s Fight & Fire vs. Miami Dolphins Fueled By Bears New Coaching Staff

Toughness and physicality are two qualities new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and head coach Ben Johnson have been hammering into their players.

Based on Chicago’s performance against the Dolphins — in practices, at least — it seems the new regime is having an impact. Eskridge isn’t some rookie or UDFA — he is 28, and has spent four seasons in the NFL. But he doesn’t have anywhere near the experience or accolades Byard does, and the Bears veteran safety let him know that in a few choice words.

When asked what he sees in his new head coach, the veteran DB didn’t hesitate.

“Just his intensity,” Byard said of Johnson, via the Daily Herald. “His attention to detail. He’s a leader of men. That’s always kind of been talked about just as a head coach, but I just really enjoy the energy that he sets every single day.”

It’s early, and the Bears and Dolphins are set to square off at Soldier Field to kick off their respective preseasons on August 10 in a game that ultimately won’t matter. But if they continue to bring the same kind of toughness and physicality to the regular season they’ve brought in recent practices, the Bears could finally find their way back to respectability.