The Chicago Bears conducted their second OTA practice open to media on Wednesday morning. Though much of the focus is on how Caleb Williams and the offense are adjusting to new head coach Ben Johnson, it's important to keep an eye on the defense, too. That said, one defender who has not had the best time in Chicago stood out on Wednesday.
According to Nicholas Moreano and many others, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had a great day. Moreano reported that Edmunds was giving Williams trouble throwing over the middle of the field all day, as he gathered an interception and forced another one. Although players aren't yet in pads, hearing that Edmunds made plays is a positive.
Tremaine Edmunds Caused Caleb Williams Trouble During Wednesday's OTA Practice
During the 2023 offseason, the Bears signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract. The former Buffalo Bills star was supposed to come in and be one of the most impactful players on the defense. Instead, his performance has been a bit underwhelming.
In 2023, Edmunds recorded 113 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, four interceptions and one forced fumble. On the surface, those stats are good and could be considered great by some. However, digging deeper tells a slightly different story.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 27-year-old finished the 2023 season with a 58.3 coverage grade (103/179 LBs), a 57.5 run-stopping grade (134/178 LBs ), and a 56.6 overall grade (133/179 LBs). While PFF isn't the holy grail when it comes to grading players' performances, it does shed a bit more of an analytical light on them.
Unfortunately, last season was even worse for Edmunds. In 2024, he recorded 110 tackles, three tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, and one interception. Moreover, he finished the year with a 56.3 coverage grade 9110/189 LBs), a 62.6 run defense grade (106/189 LBs) and a 59.2 overall grade (119/189 LBs).
In spite of finishing with two higher grades in 2024, Edmunds' drop-off in play was evident. Thus, hearing that he is making plays even if it's just in shorts and a t-shirt should excite Bears fans.
Hopefully, under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, Edmunds could return to the player Chicago thought they were getting when they signed him.