It’s time for the next installment of our ten Chicago Bears with the most to prove in 2026. So far, we’ve seen punter Tory Taylor, LT Braxton Jones, and WR Rome Odunze make the list.
Number seven is LB TJ Edwards.
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Edwards is an interesting case on the team because of the significant injury he had late in the season.
Edwards fractured his fibula and messed up his ankle in the wild-card round against the Green Bay Packers.
Mason West had this to say about the injury.
Edwards has been targeting the summer for his return to the field, but will he be the same player he was? The answer to that may very well be no, even if he can play.
The Bears are certainly already considering life without Edwards as they have brought in Devin Bush, re-signed D’Marco Jackson, and spent a draft pick on Keyshawn Elliott.
If Edwards struggles in training camp with his leg, he may be the team’s LB3, or even LB4 if Elliott plays well out of the gate.
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Edwards signed an extension last spring, which was a little surprising, given that Edwards’ play dipped towards the end of the 2024 season, and last year, Edwards played in just 10 games; his statistics were down across the board, and now he has the significant injury to overcome.
I felt the Edwards extension was questionable in the moment, and I think many Bears fans started feeling that way before the injury in the playoffs. The Bears can’t get out of the Edwards deal before this season, but they can easily get out of the deal after this season, and it’s going to take some pretty spectacular play from Edwards in 2026 to see him wearing the Navy and Orange in 2027.
The other thing you have to keep in mind is that Edwards turns 30 in August, and we know what that number means for many football careers.
Edwards is going to have a strong challenge from Jackson to hold onto his starting linebacker position (I consider the top 2 LBs starters and the 3rd LB a primary backup). Even with the injury, you’d have to think Edwards can hold off the rookie to at least keep the LB3 role, but the Bears aren’t paying Edwards $11 million a year to play 30% of the team’s defensive snaps.
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If Edwards struggles on the field and can’t play, the Bears may reach an injury settlement with Edwards and release him, if, of course, Edwards is willing to do such a thing. But this is going to be a really important summer for Edwards, not just for his future as a starter in Chicago, but his future with the Bears in totality, and given how significant the injury was, possibly in the NFL as well.
TJ Edwards is up against a lot this season, and that’s why he finds himself coming in at number seven on our top ten Chicago Bears with the most to prove in 2026.
