After the Tennessee Titans drafted Kevin Byard in 2016, he quickly built both a life and a career in Nashville. In 2018, Byard married his longtime girlfriend, Clarke Corner, and three years later, the couple was raising their two kids in Tennessee. On the field, Byard also thrived as the Titans’ starting safety and earned a five-year, $70.5 million contract in 2019. But in 2023, Byard had to take a pay cut in Tennessee, and football also forced an upheaval in his life.

While Byard was playing the 2023 NFL season, his third child was born prematurely. At that time, Byard wanted to stay close to his family, but away games forced him to travel with his team. And just days later, he faced a much bigger issue when the Titans shipped him off to Philadelphia. Now, recalling that tough situation, Byard revealed that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was one of the few people who supported him.

“I’m traded to Philadelphia,” Kevin Byard said on the latest episode of the Lots to Say podcast. “My son’s in the NICU, and we’re having to do all the stuff for my son, and I’m up in Philadelphia by myself, basically miserable, like, I wanna be home with my family. I’m talking to Sirianni, and he was like, ‘Man, if you want to fly home after a game and be there till Wednesday, like I’m completely fine with that.’”

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“It was so tough, like dealing with all that stuff that’s kind of like the unspoken part of football. Because in the football world, people that cover the game, they don’t really know that, they just care about producing or not. But just that part of having to move around it becomes tougher. So, it’s not easy.”

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Kevin Byard’s wife faced serious complications during her third pregnancy. She spent five weeks on bed rest in the hospital, and Byard had to juggle his responsibilities at home with his football duties. Then, in early October 2023, the Titans had just lost an away game in Indianapolis. And as Byard boarded the flight to travel back to Tennessee, his wife experienced a medical emergency.

That night, Clarke’s water broke midway through her pregnancy. Doctors then performed an emergency C-section to deliver Byard’s son, Amari, who was then born 14 weeks early. Because of the premature birth, Amari had to spend an extended period in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Yet even as he dealt with that difficult family situation, Byard had to travel to London for the Titans’ matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Despite everything happening in his personal life, the Titans’ safety stepped on the field and recorded 10 tackles on 71 defensive snaps. As it turned out, that game would also be the final time Byard put on a Titans jersey. 

Between the demands of an NFL schedule and dealing with his son’s premature birth, life had already become overwhelming for Byard. Then, the midseason trade happened, and while Byard already had a lot on his plate, he felt miserable. Within days of the trade, Byard had to learn a new defensive system and step into the Eagles’ starting lineup.

Meanwhile, Byard’s wife and newborn son remained in Tennessee. But instead of pressuring Byard to focus solely on football, Nick Sirianni gave him time off to be with his family. And that act of empathy still stands out to Byard after he had to move around with four different NFL teams.

Why did the Titans trade Kevin Byard to the Eagles?

During his eight seasons in Tennessee, Kevin Byard never missed a game and served as a team captain for five straight years. Byard also tallied 464 tackles, 27 interceptions, 4 sacks, and 4 fumble recoveries in 120 games with the Titans. Before the 2023 season, Byard had also made it clear that he wanted to retire as a Titan. Then, why did the Titans ship him off to Philadelphia?

As it happened mid-season 2023, the Titans sat at 2-4. But while the Titans appeared headed toward a rebuild, they faced a shortage of draft capital for next year. Tennessee held only six total picks for the 2024 NFL Draft, and just three of those picks were before the seventh round. Faced with those circumstances, the Titans prioritized future assets over immediate competitiveness.

By trading Kevin Byard to the Eagles, the Titans received fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft along with safety Terrell Edmunds. The move gave the Titans additional draft flexibility, even though it meant parting with one of their longest-tenured players. Byard understood the business side of the decision, even if the departure wasn’t easy.

“(Head coach Mike) Vrabel did a great job of being honest with me and kind of understanding the situation about (needing) draft picks and things like that,” Kevin Byard said in an interview back in 2023. “They made a business move, and that’s what it is in this business. The way it did happen, I was blessed to come to a team (that’s a Super Bowl contender).”

Kevin Byard never planned to leave Tennessee, but he doesn’t seem to carry any bitterness about how things unfolded. After the trade became official, Bryad released a statement on social media to thank the Titans and bid farewell to his home of eight years.