Latest news with #TJEdwards
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears LB Noah Sewell discussed goal-line stop vs. Dolphins
Early in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears linebacker Noah Sewell, competing for a starting job, made a statement with his play. In the first quarter, as the Dolphins were threatening at the goal line and knocking on the door of scoring a touchdown, Sewell fired through the gap on fourth down and logged a tackle for loss, forcing a turnover on downs. Sewell's play kept the game scoreless early on and put an emphasis on his performance as he competes for the third linebacker spot alongside veterans T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. Ending the game with six total tackles, Sewell's one tackle for loss came in one of the most crucial moments in the early stages of the game as he slammed the door on Miami's offense. Following the game, Sewell discussed his goal line stop and how the defense's mentality helped prepare him for that moment. "I knew what kind of situation we were in," Sewell said, via Bears on CHSN. "I was like somebody has to step up, why can't it be me? I just saw the gap open up and I shot my shot. After that play happened I just blacked out and celebrated, everyone was telling me good play, and then I remembered that it was a fourth down stop. Day in and day out, we attack the day the same. Physicality is highly preached in our defensive room so I just try to uphold that." Sewell's performance should give him an upper hand in the battle for the third linebacker spot early in preseason, and his development could be a fun surprise throughout this season. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears LB Noah Sewell discussed goal-line stop vs. Dolphins
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears LB Noah Sewell discussed goal-line stop vs. Dolphins
Early in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears linebacker Noah Sewell, competing for a starting job, made a statement with his play. In the first quarter, as the Dolphins were threatening at the goal line and knocking on the door of scoring a touchdown, Sewell fired through the gap on fourth down and logged a tackle for loss, forcing a turnover on downs. Sewell's play kept the game scoreless early on and put an emphasis on his performance as he competes for the third linebacker spot alongside veterans T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. Ending the game with six total tackles, Sewell's one tackle for loss came in one of the most crucial moments in the early stages of the game as he slammed the door on Miami's offense. Following the game, Sewell discussed his goal line stop and how the defense's mentality helped prepare him for that moment. "I knew what kind of situation we were in," Sewell said, via Bears on CHSN. "I was like somebody has to step up, why can't it be me? I just saw the gap open up and I shot my shot. After that play happened I just blacked out and celebrated, everyone was telling me good play, and then I remembered that it was a fourth down stop. Day in and day out, we attack the day the same. Physicality is highly preached in our defensive room so I just try to uphold that." Sewell's performance should give him an upper hand in the battle for the third linebacker spot early in preseason, and his development could be a fun surprise throughout this season. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears LB Noah Sewell discussed goal-line stop vs. Dolphins
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
30 Most Important Bears of 2025: T.J. Edwards (No. 19)
The Chicago Bears are gearing up for an exciting 2025 NFL season, which features some new faces within the organization poised to get the franchise back to its winning ways. That starts with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach, as well as overhauling the interior offensive line, adding pieces on defense and a potenital impactful rookie draft class. Every day from now right up through training camp, we're counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2025 season. We'll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to 2025 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year. Next up at No. 19 is linebacker T.J. Edwards, who returns for his third season in Chicago with the potential to thrive in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense. Background Position: Linebacker Age: 28 Experience: 7th season 2025 cap hit: $5.33 million 2024 recap T.J. Edwards proved to be one of general manager Ryan Poles' best free agent signings after an impactful 2023 season. But his 2024 season, while not bad, wasn't up to par. Even as the Bears defense regressed as the 2024 season wore on, Edwards continued to make plays and proved to be one of their better players overall. He led the team with 129 tackles and totaled six QB hits, one interception, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, as well as set career highs in sacks (4) and tackles for loss (12). With that said, Edwards looked like a different player by the end of the season than he did in 2023 or even at the start of last season. Perhaps it was part of the wear and tear of a 10-game losing streak and 5-12 record. The hope is that changes in 2025 as Edwards has proven to be an impactful off-ball linebacker who could thrive in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's system. 2025 outlook The Bears rewarded Edwards with a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason as they locked down their top linebacker through 2027. While Edwards left plenty to be desired on the field last season, as did many, the move is a testament to the veteran linebacker's importance on defense. With new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen stepping in, it's certainly noteworthy that Chicago opted to extend Edwards to a multi-year deal. That doesn't necessarily mean his future beyond 2025 is safe, especially if he struggles and the Bears find a better option. But, right now, Edwards is poised to return as 1-2 punch with Tremaine Edmunds for Year 3 in Chicago. The expectation is Edwards will be back at weak side linebacker, where he's thrived, but it's certainly noteworthy that Allen flipped Edwards and Edmunds during OTAs, which could mean something or could mean nothing. Big question: Can Edwards get back to his 2023 form? Chicago put their faith in Edwards inking him to a two-year extension. Now, it's time for him to prove them right. While Edwards was one of the better players on defense last season, he wasn't the same player he was during his first season with Chicago in 2023. Edwards' production took a dip in 2024, although he once again led the Bears in tackles (129). But his Pro Football Focus grade dropped nearly 20 points from 80.2 (2023) to 60.7 (2024) and he didn't look the same by the end of the season. Now, armed with a fresh multi-year extension and a new defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen, who has a linebacker-friendly scheme, the stage is set for Edwards to get back to his dominating form and serve as an anchor on a Bears defense loaded with talent. 30 Most Important Bears of 2025 #30 - RB Roschon Johnson #29 - QB Case Keenum #28 - K Cairo Santos #27 - DT Andrew Billings #26 - CB Tyrique Stevenson #25 - WR Luther Burden III #24 - RG Jonah Jackson #23 - LB Tremaine Edmunds #22 - DE Dayo Odeyingbo #21 - S Kevin Byard #20 - S Jaquan Brisker #19 - LB T.J. Edwards #18 - Coming 7/12 #17 - Coming 7/13 #16 - Coming 7/14 #15 - Coming 7/15 #14 - Coming 7/16 #13 - Coming 7/17 #12 - Coming 7/18 #11 - Coming 7/19 #10 - Coming 7/20 #9 - Coming 7/21 #8 - Coming 7/22 #7 - Coming 7/23 #6 - Coming 7/24 #5 - Coming 7/25 #4 - Coming 7/26 #3 - Coming 7/27 #2 - Coming 7/28 #1 - Coming 7/29 Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Most Important Bears of 2025: T.J. Edwards (No. 19)
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dennis Allen shares plans for T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds
In his effort to get the maximum amount of potential and production out of his players, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is getting creative with his scheme and plans for two of his top players. Veteran linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are two of the most critical players to the defense this season, and Allen recently spoke about his plans for them and why he's going to be versatile with them, and how that can benefit the team's production. Preparing his team and the veterans for any possible scenario, including potential injuries, Allen said it's best to get players to be able to play in multiple positions in case they're needed to step up. "Early on in camp, I think it's important that you cross train guys," Allen said Wednesday. "You only have 53 guys on game day and you're probably going to have about 22 defensive players to carry into a game. Injuries happen; you have to make adjustments within the course of the game. The more guys that we have that can play multiple spots and do multiple things, the better we're going to be. Ultimately what we want to be able to do is we want to be able to put our best 11 on the field. To do that, you have to be able to cross train some guys so you can mix and match and put guys in different positions." Allen, just like head coach Ben Johnson, has made his intentions and plans clear as can be coming into training camp, and they're not holding back. While there will be an open competition for the third linebacker spot (with Noah Sewell and Ruben Hypppolite II) alongside Edwards and Edmunds, it's clear that the new defensive coordinator is going to put his veterans in the best position to succeed. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Dennis Allen shares plans for T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chicago Bears training camp preview: Linebackers
Chicago Bears training camp is just around the corner, which means it's time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest. We're unveiling our Bears 2025 training camp position previews, where we're breaking down every player by position and examining the biggest question facing the group. Up next on defense are the linebackers, a group that is returning starters TJ Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, who are each entering their third season with the team. There is competition at the strongside position involving rookie Ruben Hyppolite II and Noah Sewell, which will play out over the course of the next six weeks. Let's take a look at Chicago's linebackers heading into training camp: TJ Edwards Two years ago, general manager Ryan Poles made one of his best free agent acquisitions when he signed TJ Edwards to a three-year deal away from the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn't want Edwards to hit free agency again next offseason. The Bears signed the 28-year-old linebacker to a two-year extension after he proved to be a reliable defender in Matt Eberflus' system. Now there are high hopes he can do the same in Dennis Allen's defense—it just may not be at weak-side linebacker. Edwards wasn't quite as impactful in 2024 as he was in 2023, despite having an incredible start with 15 tackles in Week 1, but he still produced 129 total tackles and four sacks and finished with a career high of 12 tackles for loss while playing in all 17 games for the third year in a row. Tremaine Edmunds When Tremaine Edmunds signed his four-year, $72 million deal back in 2023, it was the largest contract of the Poles era at the time. Two years later, Edmunds is still hanging around, but his play took a noticeable dip last year. Edmunds played in all 17 games but had fewer tackles (110), tackles for loss (three), and interceptions (one) compared to 2023. The box score doesn't come close to telling the full story, though. Edmunds looked like a deer in the headlights numerous times during the season, often being out of position on run and pass plays. There's a chance Edmunds sees time at a different position other than middle linebacker, and perhaps that will benefit him. With no guaranteed salary in 2026, this is a pivotal year for the 27-year-old if he wants to stick around in Chicago. Ruben Hyppolite II The Bears made a surprising pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Ruben Hyppolite II out of Maryland. Not many saw the Bears taking a linebacker with one of their early Day 3 picks, and especially someone like Hyppolite, who was viewed as an undrafted free agent candidate prior to the draft. But the Bears saw something in the young man that they couldn't pass up. Hyppolite is a dynamic athlete who has blazing speed for someone at the position. He needs to learn the technique, but his early returns are promising—at least in the eyes of the coaching staff. Ben Johnson singled Hyppolite out as someone who stood out, and he's in the running to be named the starting strongside linebacker when the season begins. We'll see what the hype is all about with Hyppolite when camp begins. Noah Sewell Prior to the Hyppolite selection, all eyes were on Noah Sewell as the leading candidate to start at the strongside linebacker position with the departure of Jack Sanborn. Sewell has been plagued by injuries during his first two years as a pro. He's played in 22 out of a possible 34 games, mainly on special teams. While Sewell came into the league with promise following a stellar career at Oregon, he may lose out on another starting job. The competition between him and Hyppolite will be one to watch. Amen Ogbongbemiga Last offseason, the Bears brought in Amen Ogbongbemiga after he spent three years with the Los Angeles Chargers to be a core special teams player, and that is exactly what he did. Ogbongbemiga totaled 13 tackles while primarily playing special teams, though he did manage to get a sack in garbage time against Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. His value comes on special teams, though, where Ogbongbemiga became a trusted player for special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and re-signed on a one-year deal earlier this offseason. Carl Jones The Bears signed Carl Jones as an undrafted free agent last year, and he spent the majority of the season on the practice squad. He played in one game as an injury replacement on special teams and did not record a statistic. Jones is likely another candidate for the practice squad this year. Swayze Bozeman Another undrafted free agent, Swayze Bozeman, spent the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. It wasn't until late in the year that he was called up to the active roster and played in three regular season games. He recorded three tackles while playing mostly special teams. Bozeman appeared in all three playoff games on special teams, recording three tackles throughout the postseason. Given how the Chiefs relied on him for pivotal snaps in the biggest games, he could wind up making the roster at the end of the summer with the Bears. Power Echols The final undrafted free agent of the group, Power Echols, signed with the Bears following this year's draft after four years at North Carolina. He totaled 76 tackles and two interceptions last season. While he's another candidate for the practice squad, seeing him make plays in camp will be worth it if only for the many puns that can be used with his name. Big question: Where will Edwards and Edmunds line up? For the last two years, the Bears have deployed Edmunds at middle linebacker and Edwards at weakside linebacker. It seemed to make sense. Edmunds' lateral playmaking ability seemed to fit as a middle linebacker, while Edwards could crash down on ball carriers and still stick with route runners on the weak side. That could be changing, though. Allen has said that Edwards could be moved to the middle position while Edmunds kicks outside. Both players will see looks at the MIKE spot, and given Edmunds' struggles last year, Edwards could come out as the top option. He has played the middle linebacker spot before and had success there. It may take some time to sort out, and fortunately these two have built enough chemistry together to work out any kinks. But change could be coming to this defense, starting with the linebackers.
