Bear Digest

Bears Turn Agree to Sign T.J. Edwards

Homecoming for former player at Lakes High School in Chicago suburbs
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears Turn Agree to Sign T.J. Edwards
Bears Turn Agree to Sign T.J. Edwards

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Chicago Bears

The Bears are bringing T.J. Edwards back home.

The Philadelphia Eagles free agent linebacker has agreed to a three-year contract in the free agency negotiating period with the Bears worth $19.5 million, according to an NFL Network report.

Edwards played as a prep player at Lakes Community High in the Chicago suburbs. He played college football at Wisconsin and became a starter for the Eagles in 2020.

Edwards has two career forced fumbles, two interceptions and five career sacks. He's made 389 tackles, including 20 for loss, and broke up 13 passes.

Pro Football Focus graded Edwards the sixth best linebacker overall last year, including 17th against the run and ninth in coverage.

His passer rating against was the fourth best among all NFL linebackers.Last season, Edwards allowed a passer rating against of 82.1 in his coverage, according to Sportradar. It was the lowest since he became a starter. 

In the Super Bowl, Edwards delivered the hit that aggravated quarterback Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury.

Edwards has been a middle linebacker. The Bears last year had undrafted free agent Jack Sanborn starting at middle linebacker after they traded weakside linebacker Roquan Smith and moved middle linebacker Nicholas Morrow to replace Smith on the weak side.

Edwards played quarterback at Lakes and threw for 2,500 yards out of a spread offense, while also playing special teams and defense.

It's possible the Bears will pursue another linebacker in free agency as they are without a weakside linebacker unless they return Nicholas Morrow, who is an unrestricted free agent. A report on Sunday said Cleveland had interest in signing Morrow.

Contracts agreed to during the negotiating period do not become official until signed after the start of free agency itself on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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