The Tennessee Titans recently tried to get themselves some additional room under the salary cap by approaching All-Pro safety Kevin Byard with a pay cut suggestion. However, Byard reportedly rejected the idea, and now his status with the franchise is up in the air.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Byard believes that his level of play in recent seasons doesn’t merit a lower salary. The 29-year-old had 108 tackles, six passes defended, and four interceptions in 2022 after delivering All-Pro campaigns in the two previous years.
Byard has spent all of his seven years in the NFL with the Titans and has repeatedly said he wants to spend his entire career with the franchise. He established himself as one of the pillars of the team’s defense while also being a strong presence in the locker room. The Middle Tennessee product served as the team captain in each of the previous four seasons.
Kevin Byard is set to enter the fourth year of the five-year, $70.5 million extension he signed back in 2019. He would have a $13.6 million base salary in 2023 but would count more than $19 million against the Titans’ cap.
In case the Titans and Byard can’t come to a resolution about his contract, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up being released. In this scenario, the Titans would save $6 million in 2023 but would face a $13.6 million cap hit.
