METAIRIE, La. -- Jairus Byrd finally seems to have his career pointed back in the right direction.

"I'd say in the last six weeks, he's played as good of football as we've seen now, and that's encouraging," New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said of the 30-year-old safety, whose first two-plus years in New Orleans were marred by a major knee injury and inconsistent play.

Byrd was even demoted temporarily this season before things finally started to get on track for the three-time Pro Bowler.

Whether that will be enough to keep him in New Orleans beyond this season remains to be seen. It's probably the biggest financial decision the Saints have to make this offseason, since Byrd is due $7.8 million in salary and bonuses next year as part of the blockbuster six-year, $52.5 million contract he signed in 2014. (The deal was originally announced as $54 million, but he didn't meet certain salary escalators).

A pay cut is the most likely solution, provided the Saints and Byrd agree the future is looking brighter than the past couple of years.

"I feel good. ... I feel comfortable," said Byrd, who credited his improved health -- he is finally done dealing with the swelling in his knee -- and the Saints' improved defense overall. "I think obviously the biggest thing is just turnovers. I think that's the biggest thing that just hasn't come yet. But as a defense, I think we're playing well. And that's an exciting, encouraging thing."

Byrd said he understands the fans' frustration -- something he has acknowledged before, saying he feels the same way.

"Like I've said, I know what I can do and the talent that I have and why they brought me here," Byrd said. "We've had issues just going back to my years here, we haven't done things as a defense. And me personally, being healthy, being able to be out there. Like I said before, it doesn't matter being out there or being injured, I understand the fans have a right. When they pay someone this money and then I got injured, you need a return on your investment. You need somebody out there. So I fully understand that.

"I've been around the game long enough with having a dad that played (two-time Pro Bowler Gill Byrd). I totally understand that part of it. And it just feels good from a health point to be able to be out there and get to run around there and play with these guys."

Turnovers were Byrd's calling card during his first five seasons with Buffalo, when he had 22 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles.

With the Saints, he has just one interception and two forced fumbles in 31 games played, none of them this season.

Part of that is the way Byrd is used. He was played primarily as a single-high safety for two years before he was moved closer to the line of scrimmage in three-safety packages this season.

Part of that is the overall defensive play, which has finally started to improve over the past two months after the Saints ranked among the bottom two defenses in the NFL for two-plus years.

And part of that is obviously Byrd himself, who said it's an individual's responsibility to get to the ball.

But Payton and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen both stressed that the rest of Byrd's game has been coming around -- no doubt a benefit of his improved health. Byrd tore the lateral meniscus in his knee during a Week 5 practice in 2014. And he continued to have complications for the next two years.

He even missed most of this year's organized team activities and minicamp while taking extra time to get his knee right, which appears to have paid off.

"I think he has a real good grasp as to what we're doing, and you see him playing faster. He's been tackling well. I'm encouraged," Payton said.

When asked how that compares to when Byrd was playing at an "elite" level in Buffalo, Allen said, "It would be hard to say is he elite (or) not elite. I mean. I think he's showing signs of being a good football player."

"And I think the more he's in the system, the more he understands what we're asking him to do and the more he spends time with (secondary coaches Peter Giunta and Aaron Glenn) and that DB room and kind of sees some of the things we're asking him to look at, I think you're gonna see more and more plays," Allen said. "I think one of the things that's a benefit to him is this whole thing ties together. It's never about one individual guy. It's our corners' ability to disrupt the timing of the route. It's the rushers' ability to get to the quarterback, which then causes the quarterback to make poor decisions, which allows him to make those big plays and interceptions. And I think it's that whole combination of things that we just haven't had enough of this year to allow him to make some of those plays that maybe you saw him make in Buffalo."