Vikings Rivals Land Top Free Agent LB at a Bargain-Bin Price

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If anyone thought the Chicago Bears were going to sit back and let themselves get another top draft pick in 2024, they are being proven wrong early on in the NFL’s legal tampering period. In the early minutes of the negotiation period, the Minnesota Vikings’ rival landed on an agreement with top free agent linebacker TJ Edwards.

After trading the No. 1 overall pick to get their young QB Justin Fields a wide receiver in DJ Moore, this latest move helps shore up their defense in a major way. During 2022, the Bears struggled mightily on that side of the ball after parting ways with stars like Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith.

However, Chicago quickly found their replacement for Smith in Edwards, who recorded the sixth-most tackles in the NFL for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles a season ago. The contract is an absolute bargain for the Bears as well, costing them just $19.5 million with $12 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

Edwards, a 2019 UDFA and Chicago native, has quickly grown into one of the better off-ball linebackers in the league throughout his first four seasons in the NFL. During 2022, he recorded 159 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 7 pass defenses, and a fumble recovery for the Eagles.

The Bears enter free agency with a league-leading $75.2 million in salary cap space following their trade to acquire Moore over the weekend, so this free agency period is far from over for the Vikings NFC North rivals. It should be interesting to see who else they go after in the coming days, and how the rest of the division, including Minnesota, chooses to respond.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

Share: