The Chicago Bears shook up several position groups this offseason, including their linebacker group, where veteran T.J. Edwards is set to have a new full-time running mate after the team cut fellow 2023 free agency pickup Tremaine Edmunds.
Despite the changes, Edwards is one of several incumbents who will be under the microscope this coming season.
That makes the reminder that the Bears got on Tuesday notable.
Bears Get Fitting Reminder About T.J. Edwards
NFL Shows Love to Bears T.J. Edwards
The Bears signed Edwards away from the Philadelphia Eagles, and he posted back-to-back seasons with over 120 tackles. This past season, though, Edwards battled soft-tissue injuries, appearing in 10 contests.
That is the fewest of his career.
However, as he heads into the final season of his three-year, $20 million contract, Edwards landed among the “others receiving votes” category in an ESPN poll of the top-10 LBs entering the 2026 season.
The list–voted on by unnamed executives, coaches, and scouts–continues to include Bears in various capacities, which speaks volumes about the work that general manager Ryan Poles and the front office have done with the roster.
The poll is unlikely to impact the Bears’ thinking about Edwards’ future.
Still, it serves as a fitting reminder for players like Edwards, who are coming off down years and heading for free agency.
This is Edwards’ second year in a row landing in the “receiving votes” group, while Edmunds–now with the New York Giants–slid from his No. 6 spot in the section. Like Edwards, Edmunds battled injuries last season, appearing in 13 games.
That tied his career low, which he set in 2022, his final season with the Buffalo Bills.
Edwards was an honorable mention in 2024, when Edmunds finished seventh. Edmunds peaked in 2023, landing third on the list, while Edwards was left off that year.
Bears Rebuilt LB Group in Spotlight
The Bears added to their defensive line, specifically on the interior at tackle, hoping to get their defense under coordinator Dennis Allen closer to the level their offense reached under head coach Ben Johnson. But that was only depth, leaving Edwards and the rest of the revamped linebacker room to help shore up their leaky run defense.
Former Pittsburgh Steeler and Cleveland Brown Devin Bush joins Edwards in the starting lineup, while former super-sub Jack Sanborn re-signed after a year with the Dallas Cowboys.
D’Marco Jackson was a nice surprise last season, but he incurred an injury during the spring.
It remains unclear how significant the injury was, while rookie draft pick Keyshaun Elliott missed most of the offseason program for undisclosed reasons. The Bears did not get much from 2025 draftee Ruben Hyppolite II last season, and flashes in training camp would be encouraging.
The Bears also have several other reserve options, but Edwards’ status still looms as one of the most significant factors in the Bears’ success this coming season.
However, if healthy, Jackson gives the Bears a potential pivot should Edwards struggle.
He has never been a big hitter, and he struggled in coverage when on the field last season, underscoring the significance of the 2026 campaign for the former Philadelphia Eagles standout and ex-Bears team captain.
