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Bears free safety Kevin Byard III.
Chicago Bears veteran free safety Kevin Byard III is only heading into his second season with the team, but the 2024 defensive captain isn’t afraid of being blunt about how the franchise has fallen short of expectations over the past decade.
“Just to be honest, this organization over the last 10 years or whatever, it’s been a losing culture in a way,” Byard told reporters on May 21 during the opening week of the Bears’ OTAs. “We haven’t really won a lot, so you have to drastically come in and try to rearrange everything because whatever we’ve been doing hasn’t been working.”
Don’t mistake Byard’s bluntness for despondency, though.
While the 31-year-old safety considers it a “blessing” to have played in the NFL for the past 10 seasons, he wants to help the Bears begin the process of shifting their culture into something better: a place where the focus is on the now instead of on the future.
The Bears believe they have taken a step in the right direction in terms of fixing their culture with their offseason coaching hires. They brought in on-the-rise offensive guru Ben Johnson as their new head coach and hired Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator to implement an “attacking-style” defense that they hope can elevate Chicago’s defense.
For Byard’s part in it, he has bought all the way in.
“With DA and Ben, I think that’s the main thing we’re trying to get accomplished is really shifting the culture, changing the culture and not doing what we’ve done in the past and looking toward the future,” Byard said.
Kevin Byard Will Need New Contract After 2025 Season
Byard is entering a potentially pivotal season for his NFL career with the Bears in 2025.
After a rocky 2023 season in which his original team (Tennessee) traded him to Philly and he fell short of expectations, Byard signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Bears during the 2024 offseason and quickly embraced his role as a defensive captain. He started all 17 games, leading the team with 130 tackles and tallying one interception, seven pass deflections, two sacks, seven tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
With his 32nd birthday fast approaching in August, though, Byard knows that he will need to give even more to the Bears in 2025 if he wants to earn a contract extension and have a shot at finishing his career in Chicago — which he says he would “love” to do.
“For me personally, I would love to be here,” Byard said. “I’ve loved being here over the last year and going forward. This thing is year-to-year and, honestly, it’s probably going to be year-to-year for the rest of my career until I’m done playing. Regardless of whatever kind of contract I signed, this is always going to be year-to-year.
“I put everything, my heart and my soul into this year, to this team, to this group of guys, and then we revisit those things in the offseason. I would love to be here long term, to finish my career with the Chicago Bears. That’s all I’m focused on right now.”
Will Bears Add More Safeties to Roster Before Camp?
The Bears appear to have two clear-cut starters for their deep field in 2025 between Byard and Brisker, who will return after missing most of 2024 with a concussion.
Could the Bears still add further to their safety room before training camp, though?
The Bears have two familiar faces returning to their safety rotation between veteran Jonathan Owens (their No. 3 safety in 2024) and Elijah Hicks, a 2022 seventh-round pick. Owens provided great value and depth for the Bears in 2024, particularly as a run defender, but both he and Hicks could wind up on the chopping block in camp if they do not live up to the redefined expectations of Allen’s new defensive coaching staff.
The Bears are also placing a lot of trust in both of their returning starters. Byard played well for their defense in 2024, but wear and tear is more of a concern for a 32-year-old. Meanwhile, Brisker has had three known concussions in three NFL seasons, though he said his injury history “really doesn’t concern me” after offseason talks with doctors.
If either one of them misses time, the Bears could find themselves in a tough spot.
To avoid issues, the Bears may kick the tires on adding another veteran safety if they emerge from OTAs and mandatory minicamp in June feeling like they need more at the position, even if that only means better competition for Owens and Hicks.
Then again, the Bears did sign undrafted rookies Major Burns and Tysheem Johnson after the 2025 NFL draft this spring. Both will need to prove themselves to Allen and the rest of the staff to give themselves a shot at making the roster, but either one — with strong play in camp and the preseason — could push for a roster spot as rookies.
