Damiere Byrd, who played the 2020 season with the New England Patriots, is headed back to the NFC.
Byrd, a free agent since the 2021 league year started in March, signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Byrd finished the season with the second most receptions and yards of any Patriots wideout behind only Jakobi Meyers.
He concluded the campaign with career-highs in receptions (47), targets (77) and yards (604). He scored one touchdown while averaging just shy of 13 yards per reception. Byrd also started 14 of the 16 games he played and played 90% or more of snaps in nine of 16 games.
The amount of playing time Byrd received, though, perhaps was more indicative of the Patriots’ receiver situation than it was about him. He was forced into becoming the team’s No. 1 or No. 2 wideout due to inconsistency from N’Keal Harry, specially, prior to Meyers’ production midway through the season.
The Patriots filled their biggest need by signing two receivers at the start of free agency in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. They also drafted on in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
The 28-year-old wideout had spent his first three seasons with the Carolina Panthers and one with the Arizona Cardinals.
