BIOGRAPHY
T.J. Edwards was born on August 12, 1996, in Lake Villa, Illinois. He is a linebacker in the National Football League.
He played quarterback in high school but decided to switch to defense in college. After his year redshirt year, Edwards hit the ground running as an inside linebacker. He played in all 13 games and had a team-high 84 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Those are some pretty good numbers from a player switching positions from high school to college.
In addition to his strong freshman year, Edwards’ sophomore and junior seasons helped to cement his status as a gritty player looking to make plays on the ball. He had over 80 tackles each of those seasons and recorded a combined five sacks and seven interceptions over that span. In his junior year, Edwards was a 2017 first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten.
The 2018 season was a year of high expectations for the Wisconsin Badgers. The team finished with a 13-1 record in 2017 by going undefeated in the regular season but then losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. Needless to say, things were looking good for the Badgers heading into 2018, and Edwards was a big part of that. However, the Badgers ended up going 8-5, but Edwards was named as a member of the second team All-Big Ten. He finished the year with 112 tackles, three sack, and three interceptions.
After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Edwards signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on May 9, 2019. Following a strong performance in their Week 11 game against the New Orleans Saints, in which Edwards recorded both an interception and a fumble recovery, the Philadelphia Eagles and Edwards agreed to a one-year extension worth $3.2 million.
Edwards signed a three year contract with the Chicago Bears on March 13, 2022.
