Tennessee Titans trade safety Kevin Byard to Philadelphia Eagles
The Tennessee Titans have traded Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending the All-Pro safety's seven-season run with the local franchise that drafted him, the team confirmed late Monday evening.
The Titans will receive a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick for 2024 along with safety Terrell Edmunds in the deal.
Byard posted a heartfelt message about the Titans and Titans fans on social media late Monday afternoon. The Titans did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Tennessean.
What Mike Vrabel, Ran Carthon and Amy Adams Strunk said about the trade
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk issued a statement about Byard's time with the franchise, highlighting what he and his wife Clarke have meant to the organization on and off the field.
“I want to thank Kevin and Clarke for what they have meant to the Titans family and our community," Adams Strunk said. "Kevin has been a model of leadership on and off the field, always setting such a wonderful example for teammates and others to follow. His phenomenal play and tireless charitable efforts have earned him a special and lasting place in our hearts. Kevin will always be a Titan, and we wish him well this year and in the years to come.”
Coach Mike Vrabel added a statement as well, thanking Byard for how he's helped establish the culture of the Vrabel-era Titans.
"I want to thank Kevin for what he means to me personally and to this team," Vrabel said. "When I arrived, he helped carry a new message into the locker room and establish the mindset and work ethic we were trying to instill throughout the team. His play on the field speaks for itself. An intelligent and athletic player, he has led the secondary and helped us win a lot of games. Kevin and Clarke and the kids mean a great deal to me, and I wish them success in all that is in front of them.”
Titans GM Ran Carthon, who has only been with the Titans since January, issued a statement about his briefer relationship with Byard.
“I haven’t known Kevin long, but I have gained a great deal of respect for him as a player and as a person," Carthon said. "I want to thank him for his professionalism both on and off the field and what he gave to this team on a daily basis. He is the definition of a pro’s pro. I wish him all the best.”
What Kevin Byard said about trade to Eagles
Byard began his social media message by thanking Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk and former Titans general manager Jon Robinson for drafting him and giving him the opportunity to star in the NFL. He then thanked his head coaches, Mike Mularkey and Mike Vrabel, as well as everyone in the Titans' organization from his teammates and assistant coaches to team doctors, cafeteria workers to custodians.
He finished his statement by thanking the Titans' fans directly.
"But the most special thanks go out to Titans fans," he said. "You embraced my family and me from day one and it's a blessing to be a part of this community. The energy and passion you bring to every game is unmatched. Middle Tennessee truly became our home and it always will be. It was a dream come true to be a Tennessee Titan."
Kevin Byard stats
The Titans drafted Byard out of Middle Tennessee State in 2016, and he quickly established himself as one of the NFL's best safeties, leading the league in interceptions and earning first-team All-Pro recognition in 2017. He earned All-Pro honors again in 2021. His 27 interceptions are the most by any player since the Titans moved to Nashville in 1999, and his 434 tackles are the third-most behind Keith Bulluck and Michael Griffin.
Since Byard came into the NFL in 2016, only Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has intercepted more passes with 28. Byard does not have an interception this season, but he does have 47 tackles with one fumble recovery.
Kevin Byard trade comes after pay cut request
The trade comes after the Titans asked Byard to take a pay cut in the offseason to stay with the team. Titans general manager Ran Carthon has been adamant that Byard never requested his release.
Byard has been one of the NFL's truest ironmen since entering the league, playing in every game since being drafted and not missing a start since Week 10 of his rookie year. He's made at least one solo tackle in 116 of the 120 regular season games he's played in a Titans uniform and made 44 tackles with an interception and two pass breakups in seven playoff games.
Byard has been a team captain for the Titans since 2019 and is one of the most respected players in the locker room. He was the team's 2020 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award and in 2022 was awarded the Pro Football Writers Nashville chapter's inaugural "Good Guy" award.
Kevin Byard contract with Titans
The Titans signed Byard to a five-year, $70.5 million contract extension in 2019, making him one of the league's highest paid safeties. By trading Byard, the Titans save $4.0 million against the salary cap for 2023 but accrue $7.273 million in dead cap space.
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This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans trade safety Kevin Byard to Philadelphia Eagles
