Even though the 2023 Chicago Bears are struggling to pick up wins, this season isn’t a total loss. Moreover, some players are doing good things that are garnering recognition. Among them is linebacker T.J. Edwards, who is the Bears’ nominee for the prestigious Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
NFL Network insider from each of the league’s 32 teams:
There are a bunch of notable names Bears fans should be familiar with. Divisional rivals Danielle Hunter (Vikings), Aaron Jones (Packers), and Taylor Decker (Lions) come to mind. Stars such as DeForest Buckner (Colts), Dan Prescott (Cowboys), Maxx Crosby (Raiders), and Bobby Wagner (Seahawks) stand out, too. There are even old friends such as Khalil Mack (Chargers) and 𓆏Larry Ogunjobi (Steelers) who make the cut. All in all, it is a pretty good group that the Chicago Bears standout linebacker is keeping company with on this list.
T.J. Edwards is quietly having a good year
What makes sharing this news that much sweeter is that, on the field, one of the Bears’ prized free agents is having a solid year. The Chicagoland native and University of Wisconsin product signed as a free agent this offseason and has been a significant contributor in his first year with the Bears. Edwards leads the league with 121 total tackles (which includes 67 solo). He also has chipped in with 5 quarterback hits, 5 tackles-for-loss, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception. This is the type of stat-sheet stuffing we were hoping to see from him when he signed as a free agent.
From an analytics standpoint, he is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker. In fact, he ranks 17th overall with an impressive 79.2 grade. The Chicagoland native is a few slots down from former Chicago star linebacker Roquan Smith (11th) and owns PFF’s ninth-best run-defense grade and fourth-best pass-rushing grade among off-ball linebackers. So, no matter how you slice it, the guy is getting the job done.
Suꦇrely, there is other hardware players would rather win. But there is no doubt that it would be pretty sweet to take this home in your first season playing for your home-town team.
