When the Chicago Bears first signed veteran safety Kevin Byard earlier in the offseason, fans seemed to be split on the move.
Byard came from a Philadelphia Eagles defense that finished the 2023 season in abysmal fashion, so it was easy to criticize the signing if you're a fan from either team. However, Byard was a two-time All Pro with the Tennessee Titans, most recently in 2021.
Inserting Byard in the place of former Bears safety Eddie Jackson seemed like a strong move. It was an upgrade, at the very least.
Fast forward to present day, and Byard has been having a phenomenal camp. He's been a clear leader in that secondary, as one of the more experienced players among the group. Not only has he been a leader, but Byard looks like the player of a couple years ago. He's put together some excellent practices in recent days.
And he knows it.
After another strong practice this week, Byard took to social media and simply called out the fact that he's picked off three passes in the last four practices.
Oh, and there was one more minor detail at the end of his post.
Byard's inclusion of the third emoji is curious, at the very least. Some might think Byard was just attempting to call himself a "ball hawk."
But here's the interesting part: when you type "hawk" into an emoji search, nothing comes up. When you type "eagle," though, you get that exact emoji above.
So, it's an eagle.
Whether or not Byard called out his former team doesn't necessarily matter, at this point. But, Bears fans saw just how ready Eagles fans were to get rid of Byard after he signed with Chicago. There were dozens upon dozens of fans talking down on Byard because of the Eagles' struggles against the pass last year.
But, Philadelphia's defense had a lot of problems at all three levels, at times, including the coaching and scheme. Byard is a former Pro Bowler and All Pro for a reason, and he knows it.
It's safe to say he's ready to rock and roll while calling the upcoming season a revenge tour. Will he prove the doubters wrong?
Kevin Byard isn't the only Bears safety who's fired up
One of the reasons Byard has done so well this summer is due to the group he became a part of. The Bears' secondary could be a truly special unit, and third-year safety Jaquan Brisker has thoroghly enjoyed playing alongside Byard.
Brisker is a hype man. He's a talker. He's someone who is always going to be there to pump up his teammates and the fans, which is exactly what he aimed to do after Friday's practice.
The Bears take on the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday, in Chicago's third preseason game of the year, and the second for Zac Taylor's club.
Fans will once again get the chance to see some of the Bears' starters in action, per head coach Matt Eberflus. Just how long will we see the likes of Brisker, Byard and the rest of the defense play? We'll have to wait and see.
For now, fans can enjoy the momentum building on the defensive side of the ball while looking forward to what could be a special season.
