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Bears’ Kevin Byard sees Jaquan Brisker as a younger version of himself

The Tennessee Titans selected safety Kevin Byard in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft, where he played for eight seasons (including two All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances) before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

Following the departure of salary cap casualty Eddie Jackson, the Chicago Bears signed Byard to a two-year deal to bolster one of the league’s best secondary’s. Byard’s play on the field should have a positive impact on the defense as a whole.

Byard is also a longtime NFL veteran, so he’ll bring leadership to a team that needs it from top players, especially in a young defensive line. That includes his new running mate Jaquan Brisker, who’s entering his third season and could learn a thing or two from a guy like Byard.

When asked about Brisker, Byard had high praise for the third-year starter.

“(Brisker) is a guy that reminds me of myself when I was a younger player,” Byard said last week. “Very hungry. He wants to be an All-Pro, and I love that about him. He wants to be the best, and that’s the way you have to be. Every day, we talk all the time. We try to get our communication down to where we can just look at each other and know what we’re talking about. But so far, it’s been good. Like I said, I’m looking forward to working with him this year.”

It’s good for the Bears to have guys that want to be the best and want to win so badly. It seems like Brisker has that mentality. With the right tools around him, he can eventually be as good as he wants to be with that mentality.

It’s also good to have these veterans who can relate to that mentality. A guy like Byard has been through that. Now it’s up to everyone to get the best out of each other on the field so they can win a lot of games. If both guys achieve their personal goals for 2024, the Bears will be a better team.