Last year was a revolving door at the linebacker position for the Chicago Bears, with so many players getting injured, and unfortunately for T.J. Edwards, he fell victim to the injury bug multiple times.
Edwards broke his hand about halfway through the season and missed a month of action. He would return and play well, but then a fractured fibula in the NFC Wild Card win against the Green Bay Packers ended his season. While speaking with the media, Edwards commented that rehab was going well, without a timeline for when he would return, but at least he had a strong message to send.
"I will push as hard as I can to move it as quickly as possible, but I also want to be smart about it, too," Edwards said via The Score's Chris Emma. "I’ll be ready when it’s time to go."
T.J. Edwards on the road to recovery for the 2026 season
After all was said and done, Edwards only played in 10 games last year, the lowest total of his NFL career. He racked up 67 tackles, five pass deflections, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, one interception, one touchdown, and a half sack.
Edwards is very lucky that his contract situation made it difficult for the Bears to do anything with him, because many thought he had a chance to be released, as his fellow starting linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds, experienced. There is a growing consensus that this could be Edwards' last year in Chicago if things don't go well for him.
While Edwards has been able to get a lot of tackles over his years in Chicago, his play has not been consistent. The Bears have still struggled on defense with stopping the run, with a lot of eyes on the linebacker position as part of the problem.
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It's no doubt a make-or-break season for Edwards if he wants to stay in the Windy City. While Bears fans don't know when he will be back, he'll have motivation to prove everyone wrong.
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