Last season, the Chicago Bears' defense gave the fan base plenty of reasons to pop in Advil for their headaches despite the team's nice playoff run.
The Bears' defense was among the worst in the NFL in yards allowed, specifically in the passing game. Even against the run, they struggled because of injuries at linebacker and the need to rotate multiple players into the lineup.
Despite having some concerns with the linebackers, the Bears fan base can at least feel good about one guy who is there. ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler added another article to his league survey series with scouts, coaches, and executives sharing their best players at each position. Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards did not make the top 10, but he was listed as an honorable mention with votes given to him.
T.J. Edwards in the top half of the NFL at linebacker
Last season was actually going pretty well for Edwards, but a hand injury sidelined him seven games. Despite that injury, he still finished the season with 67 tackles, five pass deflections, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, one interception, and half a sack. Pro Football Focus graded him 72 overall, ranking 24th among 88 eligible linebackers.
There were some offseason talks about whether the Bears should move on from Edwards since he has been good but never as great as they had hoped. Chicago let go of his longtime running mate, Tremaine Edmunds, and replaced him with Devin Bush in free agency.
Edwards is entering a crucial 2026 season, as he needs a strong on. If he can replicate the kind of year he was having at the beginning of last year, he has a good chance of sticking around next offseason. But if things go the other way, Edwards will meet the same fate as Edmunds.
The Bears have drafted linebackers in each of the last two seasons, Ruben Hyppolite II and Keyshaun Elliott. There was hope they might develop into future starters in Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme, but it's too early to tell whether that will happen.
If the ranking shows anything about this Bears roster, it's that they are doing better at linebacker than fans expected. Edwards and Bush will make a good pairing, while D'Marco Jackson will be a valuable third starter or at least a great rotational piece after his standout 2025 season.
Read more: 5 Bears breakout candidates in 2026 not named Luther Burden III
Every Bears fan knows that Edwards has the potential to be a great linebacker, which is why the NFL acknowledged it as well. He just needs to put it all together so that he can continue his career in Chicago.
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