Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III did his research on the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense before the Bears’ Week 13 matchup in Lincoln Financial Field.
The veteran safety knew that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had only thrown one interception all season before playing the Bears. Byard told the media after the game that he took Philadelphia’s lack of giveaways as a challenge.
Byard intercepted Hurts in the third quarter and traveled quite a distance to make the play.
Here is Kevin Byard III's interception on Jalen Hurts using the Animated Play Diagram from @NextGenStats.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) December 2, 2025
Byard showed off the range for his NFL-leading sixth interception. pic.twitter.com/MIMvwsnYW0
“Just being in the post, reading the quarterback’s eyes and really just running to the ball, you know what I mean,” Byard said after the game. “Once I seen A.J. (Brown) turn up, I was just sprinting to him. I was, honestly, I react thought he was going to throw it out of bounds. Any ball in the vicinity, my vicinity, is mine, so that is how I treat it.”
Byard's head coach had high remarks about his star defensive back
Byard, 32, is in his 10th season in the NFL and leads the league with six interceptions. He’s playing some of the best football under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and head coach Ben Johnson can’t say enough good things about him.
“He’s incredible,” Johnson said. “I had a lot of respect for him from afar prior to coming into the building. It’s nothing but grown from there. He’s done a tremendous job taking care of his own business first and foremost, to your point. He’s playing at a really high level on that back end, picking up a new scheme, and he’s really leading the charge, not just for the defense but the entire team. I lean into him heavily for kinda feeling the pulse of the locker room. He knows what winning looks like. His voice really carries a lot of weight for everybody in the building.”
Byard’s play speaks for itself, and Bears fans can see production on the field, but what is often overlooked or understated is Byard’s leadership, as Johnson mentioned. Johnson shared that Byard is among several players whom he looks to get feedback on the team.
Byard has played 159 games and has been a part of many locker rooms, good and bad. He’s an asset to Johnson, who is in his first season as a head coach, and Byard’s play has helped position the Bears in first in the NFC North and as the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Read more: Ben Johnson got blunt on Caleb Williams' missed touchdown throws vs. Eagles
If Byard continues to create those game-changing plays, this Bears team can make a serious run in the playoffs.