Good safeties are hard to come by, and Tennessee Titans are well aware of that. This is why the team decided not to risk losing their All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to free agency, and gave him a massive five-year extension on Wednesday.
ESPN reports that Byard’s new deal is worth $70.5 million with $31 million coming in guaranteed money. This makes the 25-year-old the highest-paid safety in NFL history, surpassing Washington Redskins’ Landon Collins and Kansas City Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu, who have an average annual salary of $14 million.
Titans confirmed the deal on social media, but did not disclose the details of the contract.
After getting his big payday, Byard doesn’t intend to relax. Instead, he wants to get a more prominent role in the locker room and establish himself as one of the team’s leaders.
“I am a veteran now,” – Byard told ESPN. “I have to speak like a vet and lead the team like a vet. I’m not just a young guy trying to make a name for myself. I’ve already done that. I have to make sure that I am more vocal because I have a lot to give to this team.”
Kevin Byard entered the league in 2016 when the Titans selected him in the third round of the draft. Following a solid rookie season, Byard had a breakthrough year in 2017 in which he established himself as one of the best all-around safeties in the game and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. He followed that up with another great season in 2018, finishing the year with career-high 90 tackles and 2.0 sacks to go with eight pass deflections, and four interceptions.
