Captain. Pro Bowler. NFL interception leader. All-Pro.
Combine all of those accolades, and you get 10-year veteran safety Kevin Byard III, who served as a leader of Dennis Allen's defense both through actions and words during his second season in Chicago.
Starting in all 17 games this season, as well as two playoff games, Byard tied linebacker Tremaine Edmunds for a team-high 61 tackles in the regular season and led the NFL with seven interceptions while adding eight passes defensed and four tackles-for-loss.
Between fueling the defense's league-leading 33 takeaways and serving as a vocal leader in the locker room, on the sidelines and during pregame huddles, Byard has been named the Bears' 2025 Defensive Player of the Year by ChicagoBears.com.
"He's just a true pro," Allen said Dec. 4. "He's seen a lot of football, and I think he's done a really good job for us in a leadership role kind of being the voice for the back end of the defense in particular. And I think he understands what his strengths are and understands where he's got to work to try to continue to improve.
"The big thing for him is he's got great ball skills and he's got really good instincts. So he's searching out opportunities to go make plays, and when they've presented themselves, he's made them, and I think that's what you have to be able to do."
What stands out not just from this season, but throughout Byard's career, is his consistency in both availability and ballhawking skills, two pieces of his game he takes tremendous pride in keeping at a high level.
Byard previously led the league in interceptions with eight in 2017, his second year in the league with the Titans, which earned him his first set of Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. In 2022, he earned the same recognitions while having five interceptions, including one pick-six and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
"When I came into this league, that's something that I've always told myself is, 'You came into this league and you were drafted as high as you were because of your ability to take the ball away, so be that person your entire career,'" Byard said Jan. 6. "So, it's been awesome. I've been blessed to be able to continue to do it at a high level.
"Any time you can lead the league in any type of statistical category, especially when you talk about taking the ball away at the safety position, is something that I'm just super proud about."
Byard's best performance of the season came against the Raiders Sept. 28 in a game that marked the first of the Bears' thrilling fourth-quarter comeback victories that became their hallmark in 2025. In the 25-24 victory, Byard picked off Raiders quarterback Geno Smith twice in the first half, both of which came on third down and turned into field goals for the Bears. He earned a game ball from coach Ben Johnson following the win in Las Vegas.
"He's incredible," Johnson said of Byard. "I had a lot of respect for him from afar prior to coming into the building, and it's nothing but grown from there. He's done a tremendous job taking care of his own business first and foremost.
"He's playing at a really high level on that back end, picking up a new scheme. And he is really leading the charge, not just for the defense, [but] for the entire team. I lean into him heavily for just feeling the pulse for the locker room. He knows what winning looks like, and so his voice really carries a lot of weight for everybody in the building."
Byard also recorded interceptions in wins against the Cowboys Sept. 21, Saints Oct. 19, Vikings Nov. 16 and Eagles Nov. 28 as well as in the Bears' final regular-season game against the Lions Jan. 4.
The Bears' success this season under Johnson, which included a 12-7 record, NFC North title and two playoff games, rejuvenated Byard, whose main goal since being drafted in 2016 has been to be a part of a winning team.
While Byard's contract expires in March, he vocalized his desire to return to Chicago. Last Wednesday, general manager Ryan Poles said during his end-of-season press conference, "Kevin's a special player. I have no problem saying that's a player that we would like to have back."
"I want to win," Byard said. "Obviously, everybody has different reasons why they do this thing. For me, it's always been about legacy. I want to be able to win. I want to be able to play at a higher level and all that good stuff, but what motivates me and what drives that is to want to win and try to be the best person, to be the best player, leader, teammate that I could possibly be for this organization or any organization. So that's who I am. I want to be able to win.
"I want to be on a team that wants to win. I truly don't know what the future is going to hold for me. I don't know what this offseason is going to look like. I'm going to take some time off, go back to being a full-time dad, and we'll see what happens."
