Tennessee Titans, Kevin Byard agree to five-year, $70.5 million extension
No player in the NFL had more interceptions than Kevin Byard over the past two seasons, and the Tennessee Titans are compensating him accordingly.
Byard and the Titans agreed on a five-year, $70.5 million contract extension Wednesday, a league source confirmed to the Tennessean. ESPN first reported the deal, which includes $31 million in guarantees.
The deal makes Byard the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
Byard, whom the Titans selected out of Middle Tennessee State in the third round of the 2016 draft, had 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. No safety had more. He's also had a combined 24 pass deflections over that span.
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Byard had 90 tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks a season ago, further cementing his place among the best at his position.
The Titans certainly think he's atop the list. With the extension, Byard overtakes the Redskins' Landon Collins and the Chiefs' Tyrann Matheiu for the highest-paid safety. Both signed deals worth an average of $14 million a year earlier this offseason.
The move locks up Jon Robinson's best draft pick ahead of what would have been the final year of his contract. Byard was named to the Pro Bowl and to the All-Pro first team in 2017, when he led the league with eight interceptions.
Follow the Tennessean's Erik Bacharach on Twitter @ErikBacharach.
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