New England Patriots safety Kevin Byard enjoyed one of the best seasons of his long NFL career with the Chicago Bears last season, notching 93 total tackles, seven interceptions, eight pass deflections, earning First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
However, the Bears decided to let him walk during free agency, and now he went from having Caleb Williams as his quarterback to Drake Maye, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick to the 2024 No. 3 overall pick.
Despite switching teams and preparing to face an electric Bears offense that he knows well, Byard made sure to give Williams high praise before the game.
Patriots Safety Kevin Byard Sends High Praise Towards Bears QB Caleb Williams
Speaking with reporters, Kevin Byard spoke on Caleb Williams’ mentality and excitement to go against his former teammate.
“He has great intangibles,” Byard said regarding Williams. “He’s a competitor. He wants to win. He wants to be one of the greatest quarterbacks to play this game. I love his mentality. I’m a huge fan of him, honestly. You talk about all the physical tools, it’s all there. But I just think the care, his willingness to go out there and fight every day for his teammates. So, I’m excited to play against him and hopefully our defense can have a better day.”
It’s noteworthy when former teammates still think very highly of Williams, and there’s no doubt that he has the intangibles to become one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Back in March, Byard spoke on Williams’ high ceiling, saying, “I think Caleb almost wants to be in those [clutch] moments. More than to blow somebody out. And we all want to blow somebody people out but that’s who he is. He’s a clutch player. He has a clutch gene that you literally cannot coach. Not to compare him to like Michael Jordan but everybody say Michael Jordan, the reason why he probably the G.O.A.T. because he has that gene.”
Williams Sends Message on Facing Byard
Williams was also asked during the week about facing Byard, and he responded with “Obviously, I’ve been able to go against him in practice for two years. He’s a super savvy vet. I know he’s getting up there in age but he’s still fast and I’ve seen him work. He studies film, he still moves extremely well and knows the route concepts really well. Excited to go versus him. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
The Patriots will be without three cornerbacks (Carlton Davis, Karon Prunty, and Channing Canada), so let’s see if Williams is able to take advantage and try to avoid throwing in Byard’s direction.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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