Kevin Byard had toughest training camp of his career under Ben Johnson
Former Bears safety Kevin Byard revealed that Ben Johnson put him and his teammates through the toughest training camp he's had in his career.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard enjoyed two seasons with the Chicago Bears before departing this offseason for a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, reuniting with his former coach Mike Vrabel. Byard's first year in Chicago did not go according to plan, it was the final year for Matt Eberflus who was fired before the season ended, and a rough first season for quarterback Caleb Williams as the team endured a 10-game losing streak in the 2024 season. While the going was tough in his first year, Byard always remained professional and a leader and was a big contributor to the team's turnaround last season, leading the NFL in interceptions (7).
Byard, along with many players, enjoyed a much better 2025, due in large part to the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, who changed the course for many, including veterans like Byard, from the moment his coaching tenure began. During a recent interview with NFL insider Jordan Schultz , Byard revealed that Johnson put together the toughest training camp he had ever experienced during his time in the league. "Out of my ten years being in the NFL, (it was) the hardest training camp I've ever had," Byard said.
"I wasn't expecting that from him, he's an offensive guy, everything's kind of smooth, he was riling guys up. This is the black and blue division, this is the NFC North. I think it was fun in the point of guys coming in the locker room after practice like 'What just happened?
" even players saying 'KB you got to go talk to him'. When you look back at it, it was so worth it. I think how the season went, I think we needed that tough training camp.