Titans And Kevin Byard Agree To A Contract Restructure While DeAndre Hopkins Signs His Deal

Kevin Byard isn't going anywhere this season, and the Tennessee Titans team captain has once again come through for the franchise while DeAndre Hopkins signs his Titans deal.

Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE - Tennessee Titans star safety Kevin Byard was at the center of controversy over the last few months when rumors about his future with the franchise began to flow that he could be traded. That was followed by the revelation that the team asked him to take a pay cut. 

Now, according to a report by Ina Rappaport, Byard has indeed taken a pay cut. However, in the form of a contract restructure that reduced his current salary from $14 million to $11 million, with incentives to earn back the $3 million lost in this move Byard has agreed to, to help the team clear cash for other players, most notably DeAndre Hopkins, or potential offensive tackle George Fant.  

The #Titans and Pro Bowl S Kevin Byard have agreed to terms on a restructured contract for the 2023 season, source said. His base salary is now $11M and there are incentives available to get back to the $14M he was originally owed.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2023

One thing is clear when it comes to Byard, he is an unselfish team player, which was the case before recent events, and remains true now. It would have been easy for him to have said 'no,' and moved forward, but that wasn't the case. He stepped up and helped his team and teammates. 

 According to Rappaport, this is a restructure for the 2023 season and does not include any additional years to his current deal. 

While the possibility of the Titans extending or restructuring some contracts has been expected, Byard's name had seemed to have slipped toward the back of the list, with Harold Landry being the most often talked about character. 

 As for Hopkins, according to his social media post, he signed his new deal with the Titans on Wednesday, as he announced in a video. 

“It’s official. I’m a Titan.” -@DeAndreHopkins 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4odNJTAXUK

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) July 20, 2023

Meanwhile, Fant is scheduled to work out for the Titans on Saturday, and depending on that workout, he too could be signed to the team immediately, as the team is set to report for the opening of training camp on Tuesday, July 25. 

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