Eagles LB T.J. Edwards Signs with Bears; Commanders Miss Out?

The Chicago Bears paid T.J. Edwards a hefty contract in free agency. Did the Washington Commanders fumble the bag on signing the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 13, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The NFC East is losing one of its best linebackers.

According to NFL Network, the Chicago Bears are signing Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards on a three-year deal, bringing him back home to his roots in the Windy City.

Edwards, 26, went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft but has found a way towards becoming an NFL starter. He started every game this season for the Eagles, recording a career-high 159 tackles, good enough for second in the NFC behind Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

"Edwards was finally trusted with a true three-down role starting in Week 8 of 2021, and since then, his 88.5 grade is the top mark among off-ball linebackers," Pro Football Focus said. "Edwards was one of just four linebackers in 2022 to earn grades above 75.0 in both run defense and coverage, and the former undrafted free agent in 2019 may still not have a super strong market this offseason with just 1.5 seasons as an every-down starter. All evidence we have thus far indicates he can continue to play at an extremely high level going forward, and he deserves a strong multi-year deal that reflects that."

The Washington Commanders were once linked to Edwards, but now they will have to look elsewhere if they want to sign a middle linebacker in free agency.

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Published Mar 13, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.