The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
Up next at No. 4 is linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who was the team’s biggest free agent addition and should immediately help in run defense.
Background
Position: Linebacker
Age: 25
Experience: 6th season
2023 cap hit: $14.68 million
2022 recap
Edmunds, a former first-round pick by the Bills in 2018, has had an impactful start to his NFL career. And he saved his best for last during the 2022 season, where he improved as a tackler. Edmunds totaled 102 tackles, including six for a loss, one sack, seven pass breakups and three quarterback hits last season. One of the areas where Edmunds improve significantly is his ability in coverage, where he earned a 90 grade from Pro Football Focus. Since joining the league, he’s recorded at least 100 tackles in all five seasons, and he’s been voted to two Pro Bowls along the way. Ultimately, Edmunds’ impressive season made him too expensive for Buffalo to re-sign.
2023 outlook
Edmunds was the Bears’ biggest free-agent addition this offseason, signing a four-year deal worth $72 million, and he’s expected to be a cornerstone on defense. He’ll serve as the MIKE linebacker in Matt Eberflus’ defense, and he’s just 25 years old despite already having played five seasons in the NFL. Edmunds has been a solid run defender during his career, which is an area where Chicago notably struggled last season, and he improved significantly in coverage with the Bills last season. Edmunds will be key in helping revive a defense that was among the worst in the league last season.
Big question: What immediate impact will Edmunds have on defense?
The Bears had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, which was due to the fact that they had one of the worst rosters and some key starters battled injury. Edmunds was part of a massive overhaul at linebacker following Roquan Smith’s departure, and he’ll be key in the success of the defense. But just how much of an immediate impact will Edmunds have? Edmunds, the QB of the defense, is an impressive run stopper, which should help one of the league’s worst run defenses from a season ago. He’s also arguably the best coverage linebacker in the league. But concerns remain up front along the defensive line, most notably with the pass rush. Edmunds should have a significant impact in his first year in Chicago, but there are limitations outside of his control.
30 Most Important Bears of 2023
We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.
