The Chicago Bears signed Kevin Byard right before the start of free agency to fill their void at free safety. Considering the team had such a big hole, it is smart for them to address it quickly. The Bears needed to upgrade from Eddie Jackson with this move, and they did. Here is why.
4. The Chicago Bears got a much healthier player than Eddie Jackson
One of the biggest drawbacks to Eddie Jackson in recent years has been his injury history. Jackson missed three games in 2021 and then missed five games in 2022 and 2023. In the past three seasons, he has not played more than 800 snaps and has not played more than 94% of the team's snaps.
On the flip side, Kevin Byard has played every game without a missed start dating back to 2017. He has played 1,000 snaps in every year over that span as well. Bard has played more than 96% of the snaps for his team every year, and last year, after being traded to the Eagles, he played every snap for that defense.
Despite being the same age, Jackson has played 2,130 snaps over the past three years, while Byard is at 3,449 snaps over that same span. That is what the Chicago Bears are paying for.
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