The Tennessee Titans’ offseason just got a little more interesting — and potentially explosive — on Friday when news broke that safety Kevin Byard declined to take a pay cut, leaving the two sides “at a crossroads.”
According to multiple reports, the Titans have approached Byard about taking less money, but the All-Pro safety declined, with him rightly believing his play doesn’t warrant one.
There was an earlier report from ESPN’s Jared Stillman that said Byard has requested his release from the team, but ESPN’s Turron Davenport shot that down, saying the 29-year-old has not asked to be let go.
Prior to Stillman’s report, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi stated that not only would the Titans ask Byard to take a pay cut, but they’d release him if he declined. There’s been no further reporting on that specific front, though.
Regardless, the situation remains one to watch closely, as now the Titans have to decide if they are simply going to keep Byard at his current salary, restructure him to lower his cap hit in 2023 but push his money to future years, or trade or release him.
While it remains to be seen what will happen there, the support for Byard is overwhelming, both in terms of him not taking a pay cut and it being a bad idea for the Titans to potentially let him go.
He’s still one of the best safeties in the league! Hasn’t lost a step and still playing at an extremely high level!
I would hate to see @KevinByard in a different uniform https://t.co/zXEDo9aGv7
— Jason McCourty (@JasonMcCourty) March 17, 2023
That said… he’s about to turn 30 before the start of the 2023 season, they just paid another safety pretty decent money, and if they’re in the roster reset mode I think they might be, it would make *some* sense to trade him while he’s still near peak value.
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) March 17, 2023
I haven't heard anything about KB asking to be released, for the record. But from Titans’ perspective, it would make zero sense to cut Kevin Byard. ~$6M in cap savings (pre June 1) no way justifies all that you lose in his elite production, leadership and availability. https://t.co/QyWnz2VyLb
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) March 17, 2023
#Titans fans should not be worried the team is going to cut Kevin Byard. $6M in savings isn’t close to worth it for the lost dead cap (more than double the savings) and loss of production. I simply refuse to believe they’d do something that foolish.
Trading him is a very real… https://t.co/7VjQL7KU06
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) March 17, 2023
Kevin Byard deserves anything he thinks he’s worth. And the #Titans better not mess this up https://t.co/u57nzBFep6
— Austin Stanley (@AustinStanley81) March 17, 2023
Byard has no reason to take a pay cut. He doesn’t owe the #Titans anything.
He’s always healthy, consistently productive, and an integral part of Tennessee’s locker room. He’s worth every dollar left on his contract. https://t.co/3MbSu9kaoM
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) March 17, 2023
Letting Kevin Byard go for ~$6mil~ in cap savings in 2023 while keeping Tannehill’s $27 million base salary would be such an aimless decision by the #Titans.
Bad move made even worse if they don’t blow the whole thing up. Football aside, the negative PR alone isn’t worth $6mil.
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) March 17, 2023
Leave my guy KB alone bro. Dude is never injured and he is still playing at a high level. Can’t believe Kevin Byard is apart of these talks now.
— Christian (@christivnr___) March 17, 2023
If Ran Carthon really moves on from Kevin Byard, then I just don’t see how anyone can have any confidence in him moving forward.
Not saying he’s the wrong guy for the job or he should be fired or anything, just that he would have to really do a lot to earn the fans trust back.
— Charley Collier (@ccollier64) March 17, 2023
Losing Kevin Byard will be the deal that could ruin the @Titans organization and standing in this community. This is such a bad look. https://t.co/rKYpnpuaEV
— Phillip Cox 🇨🇺 🇺🇸 (@pmcox) March 17, 2023
Kevin Byard reportedly refusing a pay cut. Don't think he'd get $13.6M on open market, which is why we heard first about #Titans wanting to cut his salary rather than a trade happening. Not sure where this one goes next, depends on Carthon.
— Tom Gower (@ThomasGower) March 17, 2023
#Titans S Kevin Byard is set to make the fifth-most cash of all safeties in 2023.
He’s better than everyone behind him on the pay scale and has restructured twice since he signed his big deal in 2019.
Why wouldn’t Titans restructure, again? He’s still playing at a high level.
— Evan Winter (@evan_AtoZ) March 17, 2023
It absolutely doesn’t https://t.co/lujQFHMSDQ
— TicTacTitans (@TicTacTitans) March 17, 2023
Should be asking Tannehill to take a pay cut 😂 https://t.co/iqRs8hpvsq
— Marshall Burns (@marshallburns12) March 17, 2023
For those with no background on the Titans, Byard has restructured his deal for three straight seasons pushing salary off to future years.
Shoutout Jon Robinson for the cluster Ran is dealing with now. Going to miss KB if he is indeed let go/traded. Been a rock for this team. https://t.co/YviSvn3cL5
— Brendan Smart (@bsmart21) March 17, 2023
And he’s correct https://t.co/aRYxvdyyR8
— Jeff-LJ-Lloyd (@Jeff_LJ_Lloyd) March 17, 2023
