.jpg) Edwards with thePhiladelphia Eagles in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 53 – Chicago Bears | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1996-08-12)August 12, 1996 (age 29) Lake Villa, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Lakes Community(Lake Villa, Illinois) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Wisconsin (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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T. J. Edwards (born August 12, 1996) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker for theChicago Bears of theNational Football League (NFL).[1] He playedcollege football for theWisconsin Badgers.
Edwards playedquarterback atLakes Community High School inLake Villa, Illinois. His senior year, he also played three games at Safety. In his three games on defense, he posted 20 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks and an interception.[2]
Despite playing quarterback in high school he recruited forcollege football as a defensive player. Edwards was originally committed toWestern Michigan. However, in early December 2013 Edwards flipped his commitment to Wisconsin after being recruited by Wisconsin's defensive coordinatorDave Aranda.[3]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Edwards LB | Lake Villa, IL | Lakes Community | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | - | Dec 2, 2013 |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports:  ESPN: (68) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 46 Rivals: NR | ||||||
Sources:
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Edwards attended theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison where he playedinside linebacker for theWisconsin Badgers football team.
Edwardsredshirted his freshman year.[4] At the end of the season the team was preparing to play againstAuburn in theOutback Bowl. The younger players on the team received extra reps and UW's defensive coordinatorDave Aranda praised Edwards, saying "He was the MVP of that period, in my opinion."[5]
With 2014 starting inside linebackers Marcus Trotter and Derek Landisch graduating and needing to be replaced Edwards was thrown in the mix to become a starter. After spring practice Edwards had earned the starting role alongside Leon Jacobs.[6]
In his redshirt freshman year Edwards started all 13 games.[7] In the season opener Edwards tallied 12 tackles against Alabama. The next three games however he only recorded ten tackles. October 19 Edwards was named Big Ten freshman of the week for his performance against Purdue where he had 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble.[8]
For the season Edwards led the team in tackles, recording 84, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble.[9] At the end of the season Edwards was named to theFootball Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team.[10] He was also named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches.[11]
| Season | Team | Games | Tackles | Int & Fum | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Yds | Sck | Int | PD | FF | FR | ||
| 2014 | Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | Redshirted | |||||||||
| 2015 | Wisconsin | 13 | 13 | 41 | 43 | 84 | 6.5 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | Wisconsin | 13 | 12 | 48 | 41 | 89 | 8.5 | 34 | 3.0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | Wisconsin | 14 | 14 | 53 | 28 | 81 | 11 | 32 | 2.0 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | Wisconsin | 13 | 13 | 73 | 40 | 113 | 11.5 | 33 | 3.0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 53 | 52 | 215 | 152 | 367 | 37.5 | 110 | 8.0 | 10 | 25 | 2 | 1 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 230 lb (104 kg) | 31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.87 s | 1.74 s | 2.75 s | 4.28 s | 7.06 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 16 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Edwards wentundrafted in the2019 NFL draft. On April 28, 2019, thePhiladelphia Eagles signed Edwards to a three-year,$1.76 millioncontract that includes asigning bonus of $12,500.[14]
Throughout his first training camp, Edwards competed for a roster spot at linebacker againstNate Gerry,Zach Brown,L. J. Fort,Alex Singleton, and Asantay Brown.[15] Defensive coordinatorJim Schwartz named Edwards the primary backup middle linebacker, behind starterNigel Bradham, to start his rookie season.[16]
On September 9, 2019, Edwards made his regular season debut in the Eagles' home-opener, appearing only on special teams during a 27–32 win against theWashington Redskins. On October 13, 2019, Edwards earned his first playing time on defense, making four solo tackles in a 20–38 loss at theMinnesota Vikings. In Week 8, Edwards made his first career start at outside linebacker due to a recurring ankle injury to Nigel Bradham, finishing the Eagles' 31–13 victory at theBuffalo Bills with a season-high five combined tackles (two solo). He finished his rookie season in2019 with a total of 30 combined tackles (15 solo) in 16 games and four starts.[17]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles finished the2019 NFL season atop theNFC East, clinching a playoff berth with a 9–7. On January 5, 2020, Edwards made his official postseason debut in the NFC Wildcard Game, making two combined tackles in a 17–9 loss against theSeattle Seahawks.
Edwards entered training camp in 2020 as a possible candidate to be the starting middle linebacker, competing againstJatavis Brown andDavion Taylor, after Nigel Bradham became a free agent. Head coachDoug Pederson named Edwards the starting middle linebacker to start the regular season, alongside outside linebackers Nate Gerry andDuke Riley.
On October 8, 2020, Edwards was placed oninjured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 4.[18] He was activated on October 31, 2020.[19]In Week 8 against theDallas Cowboys onSunday Night Football, Edwards recorded a team high 13 tackles and recorded a strip sack on quarterbackBen DiNucci which was recovered and returned by teammateRodney McLeod for a 53-yard touchdown during the 23–9 win.[20]In Week 17 against theWashington Football Team onSunday Night Football, Edwards recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown byAlex Smith during the 20–14 loss.[21]
During a Week 5 game against theCarolina Panthers on October 10, 2021, Edwards made a crucial play when he blocked a punt as the Eagles were down 18–13 in the fourth quarter. The Eagles would go on to win the game, 21–18. Edwards was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[22]
In Week 11 against theNew Orleans Saints, Edwards recorded both an interception and a fumble recovery.
On November 22, 2021, thePhiladelphia Eagles signed Edwards to a one-year, $2.20 million contract extension that includes $2.15 million guaranteed upon signing and a signing bonus of $1.18 million.[23][24]
In 2022, Edwards helped the Eagles reachSuper Bowl LVII where they lost 38–35 to theKansas City Chiefs. In the Super Bowl, Edwards had six tackles and one pass defended.[25]
On March 13, 2023, his hometown team, theChicago Bears, signed Edwards to a three-year, $19.50 million contract that includes $7.90 million guaranteed and asigning bonus of $4.50 million.[26] In his Bears debut on September 10 against theGreen Bay Packers, Edwards led the team with 14 tackles in the 38–20 loss. Edwards got his first interception as a Bear in Week 11 against theDetroit Lions when he picked offJared Goff in the 31–26 loss.
In the 2024 season, Edwards started all 17 games and recorded 129 tackles during the season. While playing the Titans in Week 1, Edwards tied a single-game career-high with 15 tackles and was tied for first in the league in tackles.[1]
On April 16, 2025, Edwards and the Bears agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension.[27]
For the 2025 season, Edwards started week 2 but and missed 3 games (1, 3, and 4) due to injury.[1]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2019 | PHI | 16 | 4 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 70 | 37 | 33 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 14 | 130 | 64 | 66 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2022 | PHI | 17 | 17 | 159 | 99 | 60 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023 | CHI | 17 | 17 | 155 | 91 | 64 | 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 2024 | CHI | 17 | 17 | 129 | 79 | 50 | 4.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Career | 96 | 81 | 673 | 385 | 288 | 11.5 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 3.0 | 13 | 0 | 23 | |
Edwards is aChristian.[28] He got engaged to his girlfriend Kelly Jo in January 2022.[29] They got married in March 2023 at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, Cabo San Lucas.[30][31]