Fans, media react to Titans’ Kevin Byard declining a pay cut

The Tennessee Titans’ offseason just got a little more interesting — and potentially explosive — on Friday when news broke that safety Kevin Byard declined to take a pay cut, leaving the two sides “at a crossroads.”

According to multiple reports, the Titans have approached Byard about taking less money, but the All-Pro safety declined, with him rightly believing his play doesn’t warrant one.

There was an earlier report from ESPN’s Jared Stillman that said Byard has requested his release from the team, but ESPN’s Turron Davenport shot that down, saying the 29-year-old has not asked to be let go.

Prior to Stillman’s report, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi stated that not only would the Titans ask Byard to take a pay cut, but they’d release him if he declined. There’s been no further reporting on that specific front, though.

Regardless, the situation remains one to watch closely, as now the Titans have to decide if they are simply going to keep Byard at his current salary, restructure him to lower his cap hit in 2023 but push his money to future years, or trade or release him.

While it remains to be seen what will happen there, the support for Byard is overwhelming, both in terms of him not taking a pay cut and it being a bad idea for the Titans to potentially let him go.