Patriots S Kevin Byard Gets Honest About Former Bears Teammate Caleb Williams

With the New England Patriots heading into a "Thursday Night Football" showdown against the Chicago Bears, much of the focus is on the teams' star quarterbacks, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams.

Patriots safety Kevin Byard previously spent two seasons in Chicago as Williams' teammate. He gave his honest assessment of the Bears quarterback while speaking to reporters in the locker room before Thursday's matchup.

"He has great intangibles. … 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 talked about all the physical tools; it’s all there," Byard said.

"But I just think the care — his willingness to go out there and fight every day for his teammates [stands out]. Excited to play against him. Hopefully our defense can have a better day. … Obviously, him and Drake is gonna be the whole marquee matchup. Hopefully, we get the good side of it," he told reporters.

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Byard played the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Bears, which were Williams' rookie and sophomore seasons. Williams emerged as a star quarterback capable of delivering in high-pressure situations during his second NFL season, helping the Bears secure important victories, win the NFC North, and earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

It was also a strong season for Byard in Chicago, who earned his third career Pro Bowl selection. His seven interceptions last season with Chicago were the second-most in a single season of his career.

Following the season, Byard became a free agent and signed a one-year, $9 million deal to play for the Patriots. He's yet to record an interception with New England but has registered 26 total tackles.

The Patriots rank sixth in the NFL in total defense, allowing 300.8 yards per game, just ahead of the Bears at 302.3 yards per game.

New England has allowed 209 passing yards per game to opponents, setting up an intriguing clash with the Bears' Williams in Chicago.

Byard may have plenty of great things to say about his former teammate, but he would probably love nothing more than to record his first interception of the season against him. Despite Williams nearly throwing for 4,000 yards last season, he also threw just seven interceptions.

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