NFL Rumors: Latest on Titans' Kevin Byard Trade, Contract amid Budda Baker Buzz

Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard reportedly may be open to a trade if the Titans do not want to pay him his $14 million salary in 2023.

During a Saturday morning appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the following about Byard's situation in Tennessee:

"This is one I'm watching. We talked about Budda Baker earlier as being available, high-end safety. This is another one where he's not necessarily available via trade that he's being shopped, but something could give with his contract. He's due almost $14 million next year. The Titans have been in clear reset mode where they're looking at veterans to potentially shed salary from.

"This is a player who wants to retire in Tennessee, wants to stay there, but he believes he's been playing at a high level for years, which he has been, his play hasn't dropped off. So, he's not eager to take any sort of pay cut. Something has to give, and I do think at the end of the day he would be open to a trade if the Titans wanted to explore it."

If Byard and the Titans ultimately agree to seek a trade, he would be the second high-profile safety potentially on the trade market, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday that five-time Pro Bowler Budda Baker requested a trade from the Arizona Cardinals.

The 29-year-old Byard has two years remaining on his current contract, and with the Titans seemingly entering a rebuild of sorts, getting some value back for him before he potentially leaves in free agency could be an attractive option.

Byard was originally a third-round pick by the Titans out of Middle Tennessee State in 2016, and since then, he has consistently established himself as one of the top safeties in the league.

He is a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has shown a nose for the football, recording 27 interceptions and three fumble recoveries during his career.

Byard was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro for the first time in 2017 when he led the NFL with eight picks, and he earned those accolades again in 2021 after finishing with five interceptions.

Last season, Byard recorded 108 tackles, four interceptions and six passes defended for a Titans team that lost its last seven games, finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

On the heels of the disappointing campaign, the Titans released several key players, including left tackle Taylor Lewan, center Ben Jones, linebacker Zach Cunningham and wide receiver Robert Woods.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars winning the AFC South last season and seemingly being a team on the rise, the Titans' window of opportunity to win the division and contend for a Super Bowl may have closed.

Byard is a winning football player who has never missed a game during his NFL career, and any number of contending teams would undoubtedly love to acquire him.

Stockpiling draft picks and building for the future may be the Titans' best course of action, so it would perhaps behoove them to find a taker for Byard and land some additional selections ahead of the 2023 NFL draft in two weeks.