The first time the Cowboys saw safety Kevin Byard, he invoked nasty memories of a dark day from long ago. The second time they saw him, he single-handedly kept the Tennessee Titans in a late-December matchup with a multi-interception performance against Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.
The next time Prescott sees Byard- in Week 9, as a matter of fact- he’ll be wearing a midnight green uniform and standing in the defensive huddle of the Cowboys’ biggest rivals.
The Eagles traded for the two-time All-Pro on Monday, per reports, in exchange for safety Terrell Edmunds and two future late-round draft picks.
Byard was a third-round draft pick of the Titans in 2016 and never missed a game in his seven-plus seasons there.
In Week 17 last season, Byard snagged two interceptions during the Cowboys’ primetime visit. The first came off a ricochet that first hit tight end Peyton Hendershot in the hands and then bounced around until Byard scooped it out of midair.
Kevin Byard intercepts it off the bobble ‼️ @KevinByard#DALvsTEN on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/745fAOdlLT pic.twitter.com/wRo9CFHw11— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2022
That Titans drive ultimately turned into a 27-yard field goal that moved Tennessee to within a touchdown of Dallas shortly before halftime.
On the Cowboys’ next drive, Byard victimized Prescott again. This time, with the offense attempting to add to their lead just before intermission, Prescott stared down tight end Dalton Schultz right from the snap and never looked away, giving the Middle Tennessee product ample time to jump the route.
Back-to-back picks for @KevinByard
📺: Watch #DALvsTEN on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/2hyFNhtnIN
— Titans (Oilers Version) (@Titans) December 30, 2022
Tennessee converted that pick into another field goal, narrowing the margin to just four points before the Cowboys finally pulled away in the second half, eventually winning by a 27-13 score.
Byard has not recorded a pick since that night, but his 27 interceptions since entering the league in 2016 make him the third-most prolific player in that department over that span, behind only Xavien Howard and Justin Simmons.
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Cowboys fans will remember that Byard also stole a Prescott pass in the end zone during the November 2018 meeting between Dallas and Tennessee, contributing to a 28-14 Titans win. After that pick, Byard famously raced to the midfield star at AT&T Stadium and spread his arms in celebration, T.O.-style.
A Philadelphia native, Byard will now join his hometown team with the Eagles set to travel to Washington in Week 8 before hosting Dallas on Nov. 5 for a grudge match that will help decide the NFC East.
As one of four different players last year- and the most recent- to intercept Prescott twice in the same game, No. 4 will no doubt be paying special attention to where the newest Eagle defender lines up when the Cowboys visit the Linc in a couple weeks.
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