Kevin Byard becomes the latest member of the 2025 Chicago Bears to earn a spot on the NFL Top 100 list. Byard, who signed with the New England Patriots in free agency, checks in at No. 61 on the vaunted NFL Top 100 players list of 2026. And, as you might expect, the veteran safety gets his due praise from his peers.
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No. 61 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Patriots S Kevin Byard! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/o8L2Lf6tGF
— NFL (@NFL) July 17, 2026NFL Top 100: Ex-Bears Safety Kevin Byard Makes the Cut
Three quotes from NFL players heaping praise on former Bears safety Kevin Byard:
Camryn Bynum, Indianapolis Colts safety: “I think he’s, right now, playing like the best safety in the league.” Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams safety: “When he was on the Titans, he got a lot of respect, and then it fell off. But then he had this year, and you’re like, ‘Well, there he is again.’ But he’s been doing this his whole career. He’s been a ball hawk.” Jonas Sanker, New Orleans Saints safety: “If everybody knew how to do it, everybody would do it. Having all the interceptions he did just speaks on his ball skills and his ability to process plays fast.”WATCH: THE BEARS’ GOODBYE VIDEO FOR ALL-PRO SAFETY KEVIN BYARD
Kevin Byard was a star on the Bears’ defense in 2025. He logged 93 tackles and snagged a league-leading seven interceptions. Byard was also a locker-room leader whom Ben Johnson could lean on as a first-year head coach. The Bears will miss all aspects of Byard’s game, but they did add safety Coby Bryant, which helps soften the blow.
Kevin Byard III was an All-Pro safety for the Chicago Bears in 2025. © Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesAfter spending the last two seasons with the Bears, Byard left Chicago to join the New England Patriots. The news came days after the Bears signed Bryant to a lucrative multi-year deal early in free agency. Before Byard’s departure, there was hope and optimism that the safety would return. However, it just wasn’t meant to be. So instead of running it back with Johnson and the Bears, Byard gets to reunite with Mike Vrabel — who was his head coach while with the Tennessee Titans.
I’m still surprised that he didn’t get a multi-year deal. The one-year contract, reportedly worth $9 million, was less than what I (and others who project NFL free-agent contracts for a living) were expecting. But perhaps that can still happen for Byard with the Patriots.
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