Eagles Cut All-Pro Safety Who Fits Steelers Needs

The Philadelphia Eagles have released All-Pro safety Kevin Byard after just one season, the team announced on Friday, and he could be a free agent fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 5-foot-11, 212-pound Byard was traded to the Eagles from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick and former Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmonds in October.

With the Eagles, Byard played in 10 games and recorded 75 tackles, three passes defended and one interception. His release cleared $13.7 million of cap space from the Eagles’ 2024 rolls, based on the two-year, $25.1 million contact he signed with the Titans just a few months before they traded him.

A third-round pick of the Titans in 2016 out of Middle Tennessee State, Byard became a starter in his rookie season and a staple of the Tennessee defensive backfield. He played in at least 16 games in every season of his eight-year career.

In 2017, he had his best season, recording 87 tackles, 16 passes defended and an NFL-leading eight interceptions. That led to his first of two All-Pro selections. The second one came in 2021.

The Steelers have most of their 2023 safeties under contract for 2024, but they could be looking for an upgrade after Keanu Neal deal with an injury-riddled 2023 season and Damontae Kazee struggled when asked to play more in-the-box strong safety.

Byard could be a replacement for Neal as the third safety in the team’s regular rotation, if they want to move on from the veteran strong safety and find someone that has been more reliable.

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