T.J. Edwards couldn't stay healthy throughout the 2025 NFL season, but the veteran linebacker has a chance to make a positive impact for the Chicago Bears if he can stay on the field this year.
Injuries dismantled T.J. Edwards’ 2025 NFL season.
The veteran linebacker played in just 10 regular-season games, a career low for the undrafted player out of Wisconsin. Before the 2025 season, Edwards played in all 17 games for three straight years, and was a productive in his two seasons with the Bears and final year in Philadelphia.
He made 337 total tackles, intercepted four passes and registered 11 sacks. Edwards is a productive player when healthy, and the Bears will need that version of him to help their defense take a jump in the 2026 season.
Edwards missed Week 1’s home opener against the Minnesota Vikings because of a hamstring injury he sustained late in the preseason. He returned the following week against the Detroit Lions but reaggravated the initial injury and sat out Weeks 3-4.
The veteran linebacker had two of his best games of the season against the Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints, totaling 13 total tackles and allowing just 26 receiving yards on five receptions.
After two inconsistent performances in the following weeks against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, Edwards found himself in the same position where he started the season. In the win against the Bengals, the veteran linebacker broke his hand and had surgery. He avoided IR but missed the next four games.
He returned to the field in Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers, and the following week, he posted his best run defensive game of the season against the Cleveland Browns, when he ended with eight total tackles and six defensive snaps – a tackle that constitutes a “failure” for the offense, according to Pro Football Focus.
Edwards and the entire defense struggled down the stretch against the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and in the first half against the Packers in the wild-card round. Way before Chicago’s defense found its rhythm in the second half against Green Bay, Edwards’ season came to an end after he fractured his fibula. The veteran linebacker needed a cart to take him off the field.
Edwards’ timeline to return can be anywhere from four to six months, meaning he would miss most of the offseason, but could potentially return sometime in training camp.
At his best, Edwards is a linebacker who consistently makes sound tackles and understands what offenses are trying to do in the run game. The Bears' defense needs to show improvement stopping the run in the 2026 season after allowing the 27th-most rushing yards in 2025.
What he lacks in overall speed, he makes up for with his instincts and positioning himself in the right place at the right time. His pick-6 against the 49ers is a clear example of that.
If the defensive line in front of him can keep Edwards clean, he’s an effective player. One area where defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can tap into his ability to blitz the quarterback. He finished with a career high 15 total pressures and four sacks in 2024, which should be enticing for the veteran defensive play caller.
His counterpart from a season ago is gone in Tremaine Edmunds, but Devin Bush was signed in free agency. The Bears also re-signed DeMarco Jackson and brought back Jack Sanborn. This will be an important year for Edwards, who signed a two-year, $20 million contract in April 2025.
A healthy Edwards makes this Bears defense better, and the unit has plenty of areas to improve for the team to take the next step in the 2026 NFL season.