Philadelphia Eagles star safety Kevin Byard gave a surprising and honest assessment of what it’s like playing in the City of Brotherly Love.
Ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, the Eagles acquired the veteran stalwart and two-time Pro Bowler from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for safety Terrell Edmunds plus 2024 fifth and sixth-round draft choices.
Per E.J. Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Byard admitted that playing in a big market like Philly “can be very divisive” since there are “leaks” all over the place.
“I think playing for this city, you have to really operate in a different way. For example, I come from Tennessee, which is obviously a smaller market, I feel like it was very easy to keep in-house things in-house. It’s very different over here. I feel like there’s leaks everywhere…it can be very divisive in a way. It can kind of force players or whoever it may be to almost protect yourself.”
The Eagles started off at 10-1, but they have since lost four of their last five games. In order to win a second straight NFC East division crown, the Eagles must beat the New York Giants on Sunday, and they’ll need the Washington Commanders to somehow upset the Dallas Cowboys.
In nine games with the Eagles this season, Byard has one interception and three pass defenses. For his career, the 30-year-old has 28 interceptions, 66 pass defenses, three forced fumbles and 740 combined tackles.
