Earlier this offseason, the Tennessee Titans approached star safety Kevin Byard about reducing his cap hit of $19 million. It was something that Byard refused at the time, which led to rumors swirling that he could be on the move.
New Titans general manager, Ran Carthon, had cleaned house earlier in the offseason, moving on from numerous veterans. The team didn’t want to say goodbye to Byard, but it certainly became a possibility as Carthon attempted to reshape the roster in his image.
But, Byard won’t be going anywhere, at least for now. After months of stalemate, an agreement was worked out. The two sides have agreed to a restructured deal, as Byard’s base salary will be reduced from $14.1 million to $11 million. That money isn’t gone, however, as he can still earn it back through incentives.
The reconstruction became necessary after the Titans worked out a deal with free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins will provide the offense with a much-needed boost, as they had arguably the weakest group of pass catchers in the NFL.
The former All-Pro will provide Ryan Tannehill with a reliable go-to target in the passing game while also being a mentor for the younger players at the position. 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks will benefit the most from Hopkins’ presence, not only having the chance to learn from him but now having an established veteran to take some of the attention off of him on the field.
Knowing what the restructured contract would be going toward likely made things a little smoother with Byard. Giving back money isn’t something any player wants to do, but if it will help the team, which Hopkins will, it is easier to stomach.
Byard has been a stalwart in the Titans’ secondary since they selected him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has not missed a game in his NFL career, earning two Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in his career.
The five-year, $70.5 million deal that Byard signed with the team in 2019 made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL at the time. Now, he is the ninth highest-paid player at his position. Given his reliability and production, it is easy to see why he refused a pay cut originally as he is more deserving of a raise than a reduction in pay.
