Kevin Byard, Tennessee Titans' All Pro safety, reports for mandatory minicamp
Tennessee Titans All Pro safety Kevin Byard put an end to the mystery.
Byard reported for the Titans mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday, marking his first appearance at Titans activities this offseason after general manager Ran Carthon asked him to take a pay cut in March. Byard had been absent from the team's voluntary OTA practices throughout May, a rarity for the long-time team captain.
Carthon confirmed prior to the NFL Draft reports that he had gauged Byard's interest in accepting a salary reduction. Byard has not commented on the saga publicly and provided no comment when The Tennessean asked in April.
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The Titans' third-round pick in 2016, Byard has been the Titans' most durable, reliable and impressive defensive player for nearly a decade. He was voted first-team All Pro in 2017 and 2021 and his 27 career interceptions are the most by any Titans player since the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997. He was one of three Titans to start all 17 games in 2022 and led the team in both tackles and interceptions.
Byard is one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL, earning $14.1 million annually. Byard signed a five-year, $70.5 million contract extension in 2019 to keep him with the Titans through 2024. At the time, it was the largest safety contract in NFL history, but that mark has since been surpassed by Los Angeles Chargers standout Derwin James and Pittsburgh Steelers star Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Byard wasn't the only Titans starter absent from OTAs. Cornerbacks Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting, safety Amani Hooker and defensive lineman Denico Autry all missed at least one of the optional practices.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kevin Byard reports for Tennessee Titans mandatory minicamp