(670 The Score) It didn’t take long for linebacker T.J. Edwards to decide he wanted to join the Bears when they expressed interest in free agency.
“It’s hard to pass up when your hometown team calls,” Edwards said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show. “You just want to find a way to get it done as fast as possible.”
A native of Lake Villa, Edwards on Monday agreed to a three-year contract with the Bears, a deal that could be worth up to $19.5 million. His decision came after he played for the Eagles for his first four NFL seasons.
Edwards, 26, will be counted on help stabilize a Chicago defense that was 29th in yards per game allowed and dead last in points allowed per game in the NFL in 2022. He had 159 tackles and two sacks in 17 games for Philadelphia last season.
“I just want to get in there and get straight to work,” Edwards said. “I think I’m a guy who’s still, I still think there are so many things I can be better at. There are so many things I can do to improve my game. I think I’m just scratching the surface. I’m excited about where my game is headed.”
As Edwards explained it, he and his friends would emulate the likes of Bears icons Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Mike Brown and Devin Hester in his backyard while they were growing up.
“It’s surreal, that it’s all come full circle like this,” Edwards said.
“The whole team in general, it’s exciting, the stir around Chicago in general is crazy right now.”
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