The Chicago Bears‘ defense put on a show on Monday Night Football. It was easily the best performance the unit has had in a long time. Facing a talented Philadelphia Eagles offense, they allowed just 7 points all night, pitching a shutout in the second half to cement a 27-7 beatdown. One of the MVPs of that performance had to be TJ Edwards. The veteran linebacker has been criticized at times for his inability to stay healthy and lack of production. Well, that was not a problem in this game.
He was everywhere. Aside from 3 tackles and a tackle for loss, Edwards also had 3 passes defended. It was clear he had the Eagles’ passing attack figured out from the start. All of it culminated in a big 3rd quarter interception that killed the last real hope of Philadelphia getting back into the game.
Yet that wasn’t the best part. Cameras caught Edwards hovering around the line of scrimmage right before the play. He leaned in closely, listening to quarterback Jalen Hurts call out a play to his teammates. Edwards then dropped back into coverage and picked the quarterback off.
TJ Edwards is a past demon the Eagles can’t escape.
Many people forget that the linebacker got his start in the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Philadelphia in 2019. He climbed to the starting role by his second season and became an integral part of their defense. They don’t reach the Super Bowl in 2022 without him. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the cap space to retain him as a free agent the following year, allowing Chicago to scoop him up. He’s been a terrific addition ever since. However, the one thing he never got was a chance to play his former team. Edwards missed the game last season with a hand injury.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
So you can bet he was prepared for this one. Having played across from Hurts so many times in practice with the Eagles, it’s a safe assumption that he had a pretty good grasp of their signs and checks. TJ Edwards probably knew what the quarterback would do if the Bears’ defense gave him the right look in a certain situation. That is why he was so close to the line of scrimmage. He wanted to double-check that Hurts was doing what he expected. It worked to perfection.
Aging or not, Edwards can still ball.
Many have wondered if the 30-year-old was running out of gas. He was stellar in 2023 and 2024. Sadly, he was slowed by rampant injuries last season. His slow start in Carolina didn’t help his case. However, it appears he is starting to regain some of his mojo. Edwards was solid last week against Minnesota. Monday night was his true welcome back moment. The timing couldn’t have been better. With Caleb Williams out, the Bears needed a strong effort from the defense, and he answered the bell.
It’s honestly surprising that Philadelphia didn’t install some dummy audibles for this game. They had to know Edwards would be on the field and had a deep knowledge of their offensive verbiage. The risk was always high that he’d figure out what they were doing at some point. Nope. They kept right on using their usual stuff, and it seems they paid the price. Small oversights like that are how you lose big games.
