Chicago Bears All-Pro defender named as cut candidate with Ben Johnson in charge

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report suggested the Bears could move on from an aging veteran as a new defensive coordinator takes over the unit. Cutting the two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, who signed a two-year contract with Chicago in March 2024, would save the team a lot of salary-cap space.

“Kevin Byard was far from the biggest problem the Bears had on defense,” Ballentine wrote. “That doesn’t change the fact that there will be a new coach running that defense, and there’s a lot of money to be saved by cutting Byard. $7 million of his $8.5 million would be off the books if the Bears were to cut the veteran.

“The fact that the safety is 32 years old could make him expendable. The Bears have to make some headway next season, but the core of their secondary now has enough experience, so they shouldn’t need Byard for his experience and leadership.”

Kevin Byard had a solid season in 2024

At 31, Johnson earned a 72.0 grade from Pro Football Focus for his play in 2024. He recorded 100 tackles, five passes defensed and gave up a touchdown.

The Bears have plenty of cap space if they want to keep the veteran. Per Spotrac, Chicago has $69.3 million to play with in 2025, the fourth-highest cap space in the league.

Whether the Bears keep Byard or not will come down to how the new coaching staff feels about the former Tennessee Titans third-round pick.