Titans Kevin Byard agrees to a restructured deal, sources confirm

Turron Davenport, ESPNJul 21, 2023, 10:09 a.m. ET

CloseTurron Davenport covers the Tennessee Titans for ESPN. Turron is a former college football player at Cheyney University and a Philadelphia native, and he has authored/co-authored four books. You can watch Turron on ESPN Radio on his show “Talking with TD” and you can follow him on Twitter: @TDavenport_NFL.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard has agreed to a restructured contract, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

According to the NFL Network, which was first to report on the restructured deal, Byard’s base salary of $14.1 million will be reduced to $11 million, but he will have the opportunity to cash back through incentives.

The Titans approached Byard to reduce the $19 million cap he reached in March, but the security refused at the time to rework the five-year, $70.5 million extension he signed in 2019. The deal made him the highest-paid security in the league at the time; he is currently the ninth highest-paid safety in the NFL.

Byard’s deal restructuring freed up caproom for signing free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans reached a deal with Hopkins on Sunday, but no signing has been announced.

Byard has 27 interceptions since being drafted by the Titans in 2016. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2021 and finished the 2022 season with 108 tackles and four interceptions.

The 29-year-old Byard has not missed a game in his seven seasons with the Titans. Byard and running back Derrick Henry are the longest-serving players on the team.