The 2026 offseason hasn't been nearly as eventful for the Patriots as last year, when they spent a record amount of money to bring in the caliber of talent their roster desperately needed, but that doesn't mean they didn't manage to sign a few superstars who will immediately make a positive impact on the team's performance this fall.
The most notable name of all is likely veteran safety Kevin Byard, who is coming off the best season of his career during a two-year stint with the Bears. His most impressive of all was recording seven interceptions returned for 91 yards, the most turnovers he's produced since his sophomore season in 2017.
It's almost certainly the leading reason the Patriots were interested in bringing him in, other than his connection to Mike Vrabel from their days with the Titans.
Byard is already projected to be a superstar for New England's defense, leading the safety room after the team lost Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency. And they're likely expecting similar production from him to last season, but the latest predictions already suggest he will regress rather than continue to rise.
That's not exactly what the Patriots need out of their next veteran starter.
There might be reason for the Patriots to worry about Kevin Byard's immediate football future
In a new piece by Justin Carter of FanSided, he predicted the five NFL stars destined to regress in the 2026 season, and unfortunately for the Patriots, Byard made the list.
Carter cites his impressive 2025 stats and how difficult they would be for anyone to replicate, let alone someone who will be 33 by Week 1, and based on those two factors, he believes the best years might be behind Byard rather than ahead of him in Foxboro.
"He's getting older. He has nowhere to go but down after leading the NFL in picks. He's going to have to adjust to a new team, which won't be easy, and there's a player behind him on the depth chart who might surprisingly challenge him for snaps."
He goes on to state that while his 7 interceptions are impressive, turnovers are "fluky" and that Byard hasn't been historically great at creating those opportunities, noting his 2 total interceptions over the prior 2 seasons.
While what Carter says isn't exactly far-fetched or something to worry about, since a player in their 30s potentially declining isn't exactly news, it is something that the Patriots have (hopefully) taken into consideration when they signed him.
He should be a massive help in the secondary, especially with his veteran experience and leadership, but there is a good chance he won't play as well as he did last season, and if that's what they're expecting, they'll probably be disappointed.
The silver lining is that even if Byard doesn't throw 7 interceptions or anything close to that, he will still be a valuable part of the defense they didn't previously have. It seems clear that they understand the risk that comes with signing a player of his age, given he only signed a one-year contract.
But that doesn't diminish his potential to help their defense, which also includes other superstars like Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis. Byard should put them over the top and bring the group to a new level, even if he puts up half the turnovers he did in 2025.
That's still something to look forward to and be excited about.
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