Bears sign key defensive player to two-year extension

The Bears are keeping linebacker T.J. Edwards in Chicago for the foreseeable future. 

The two sides agreed to a two-year, $20M extension with $16.6M being fully guaranteed first reported by Ian Rapoport. This makes Edwards the 17th highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL in regards to guaranteed money. 

The Bears continue their offseason momentum by locking up another defensive piece for their new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Bears defensive back Kyler Gordon also recently agreed to a three-year, $40M deal with $31.25M guaranteed.

“We want to be an attacking, aggressive style of defense,” Allen told reporters in January. 

Edwards fits this style of play to a tee as a downhill backer. He recorded 90 solo tackles which ranked 17th out of 189 off-ball linebackers per PFF. He also recorded 37 assists, four sacks and one forced fumble.

The 28-year-old is an Illinois native and a graduate from the University of Wisconsin. There, he earned All-Big Ten honors in both 2017 and 2018. Though, despite the accolades, Edwards went undrafted during the 2019 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on the linebacker as an undrafted free agent signing a three-year $1.76M deal.

Following the 2022 season, then Bears head coach Matt Eberflus advocated for two strong linebackers which led to the hometown kid Edwards and his running mate Tremaine Edmunds coming to the windy city.

Edwards has outplayed Edmunds to this point, which is a disappointment for the Bears due to the disparity in what each signed for. Edwards signed for three years, $19.25M compared to the four-year, $72M deal that Edmunds got.

Comparisons aside, this is a win for Edwards, a win for the Bears and a win for their fans. The Bears have been starved of success since the 2018 season and need all hands on deck to take over the daunted NFC North.