It's been a very odd start to the season for Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards, but the last two games are really showing his new ability to help this defense.
Edwards had just one tackle in the Bears' 59-37 Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. That wasn't the showing fans expected from a guy who had at least 129 tackles in the two seasons he played all 17 games for Chicago in 2023 and 2024.
Strangely enough, the last two games have only gotten slightly better in terms of tackles. What is becoming noticeable, though, is how he is actually helping the Bears out in pass coverage.
T.J. Edwards has become a playmaker in pass coverage for the Bears
In the Bears' 27-7 blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, Edwards only had three tackles and one tackle for loss. He really thrived by making life tough for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts when he tried to throw it short and in the middle of the field.
Edwards got his hands on the ball for a pass deflection three times in the contest. What he did late in the third quarter, though, was gold for the defense.
The Eagles faced fourth down when Edwards was seen on camera leaning in to hear the play call and signals from Philly's offense. While he admitted he couldn't get anything from that, he still made the game-sealing interception that helped the Bears win.
It's been quite an interesting start to the year for Edwards, as he has never really been known for his pass coverage. Even this season, he hasn't been great in pass coverage at times, allowing a passer rating of 149.3, according to Pro Football Focus.
Even so, it still feels as though Edwards is making the big plays in coverage and preventing more damage. Bears rookie safety Dillon Thieneman seems to be taking over as the team's leading tackler, replacing Edwards in that role.
This has put Edwards in an awkward spot in finding other ways to help this defense. It hasn't been a perfect season for the veteran linebacker, but he made some massive plays for the Bears in the Eagles game.
His three pass deflections are already on pace for a career high for Edwards. His previous season-high was seven, which he matched twice in 2022 and 2023.
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Bears fans would love to see Edwards make an impact on stopping the run and collecting more tackles, but if he improves in pass coverage and keeps deflecting passes, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either.
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