Windy City Gridiron
In this series, we will look at which Chicago Bears players need to step up their play to match their pay in 2025.
Expectations are a tricky thing. One of the safest ways to fan over the years is to set the bar low and not expect much from your team. We Chicago Bears fans know this well. I couldn’t help but think of one of the all-time great MADtv skits as I began this series.
However, with Ben Johnson now calling the shots in Chi-town and Caleb Williams under center, times are looking up for The Beloved. With over $64 million in cap space and 4 picks in the top 75 of this upcoming NFL Draft, Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles has plenty of resources at his disposal to improve the team moving forward. But what about the players currently under contract? In this series, we will highlight ten players who need to step up their play to justify their contract while simultaneously helping the team win more games.
Next up at #8, we have Safety Kevin Byard.
Byard burst onto the scene in Chi-town, leading the team in total tackles from his Safety spot and producing a handful of impact plays that defined his career prior to joining the Monsters of the Midway.
No play bigger than the sack fumble against the Packers in the season finale up in Lambeau Field. Here it is, just in case you forgot.
Durability has been another calling card for the 9-year pro, and that continued this past season when he tied for the team high in snap count percentage at 98.88% on the year. With availability being one's best ability, Byard has been as reliable and dependable as they come. My biggest question is if he can keep pace in his age 32 season. Considering he has the 8th highest salary cap hit in 2025 at $8,470,000, that question lands him on this list.
In 2025, I do not expect for him to match his tackle numbers, thanks to a (hopefully) improved DL, but I will be looking to see if he is able to add to his INT and PBU numbers behind a more effective pass rush. While I fully expect another Safety added in the draft or FA, Byard is someone I will be eager to see next year.
8. Kevin Byard
