Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards took advantage of increased role as season progressed

T.J. Edwards patiently waited for his turn.

During the first two months of the regular season, the Eagles’ third-year linebacker was mostly an afterthought in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s game plan and system. But when the team released linebacker Eric Wilson in late October, Edwards’ role greatly expanded.

Immediately, Edwards — who joined the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019 — slotted in as their starting middle linebacker.

The defense was spotty throughout the season, but Edwards’ ascension into a more prominent role paid dividends. He was often a sure tackler, provided increased physicality, played better in pass coverage than his predecessor, and thrived with the additional reps.

Despite playing less than 50% of the defensive snaps until Week 7, Edwards still finished as the team’s second-leading tackler with a career-best 130 combined tackles. He also recorded 5 pass deflections, 5 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 fumble recovery. From Weeks 9 to 17, Edwards played in more than 92% of the defensive snaps in each game.

His consistent play will provide the front office with more insight as the Eagles head into the offseason looking to address their personnel.

“I want [the starting role] to be mine,” the 6-foot-1, 242-pound Edwards said Monday during his season-exit interview. “I’m going to stay the same with my prep and what I’m doing in the offseason. I want to get bigger, faster, stronger. I want to keep working on the things that have helped me improve year in and year out. I also want to make sure we’re all staying in common with what we’re supposed to be doing in terms of what we’re building here.

“I think it’s going to be a really good offseason. We have a really good group I’m excited about.”

The Eagles rewarded Edwards in midseason with a one-year contract extension worth up to $3.2 million, including $2.15 million guaranteed. He’ll avoid free agency and is locked up for at least another season.

Edwards was a bright spot for the defense, but the linebacker position should still be prioritized in the offseason. Too often, opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators targeted the middle and intermediate parts of the field, where the Eagles struggled and allowed a lot of completions.

If general manager Howie Roseman needs any additional convincing, all he needs to do is rewatch the tape from the NFC wild-card round. For the second time in three months, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady diced through Philadelphia’s defense with ease. In two games versus the Eagles, Brady completed 63-of-79 of his passes for 568 yards with four touchdowns and just one interception.

Some of Brady’s success came against a defensive front that was missing Edwards, who exited Sunday’s game with a forearm injury and didn’t return. Edwards insists his forearm is fine and said he’ll be back in the gym within a few weeks.

Other linebackers on the active roster include Genard Avery, Shaun Bradley, Patrick Johnson, and Alex Singleton. Davion Taylor also saw an increased role as the season progressed, but he landed on injured reserve in late November. Avery is set to be an unrestricted free agent, while Singleton is a restricted free agent.

“Just with what T.J. has done — when we evaluated it [in October], we wanted to see what improvements could we make moving forward,” Gannon said in December. “He was a guy that stuck out that we said, ‘We really can’t afford to take this guy off the field.’

“That’s why you saw his playing time increase and that’s why you see he’s playing really well for us right now. Very happy about how T.J. is running the show for us, and he’ll continue to do that.”

Considering the Eagles whiffed with Wilson in free agency last offseason, it might be a more optimal decision to explore potential options in the upcoming draft. The Eagles possess 10 total picks, including three first-round selections in the top 19, and the linebacker prospects seem promising.

As for Edwards, he plans to retreat to his home in Illinois and will resume his training in Wisconsin. During the offseason, the former Wisconsin Badgerworks out with the Watt brothers — J.J., T.J., and Derek — at NX Level Sports Performance just outside Waukesha.

“Throughout the year, I’ve really built chemistry with the guys,” Edwards said. “Being the middle linebacker, I wanted to become a leader, whether it’s leading through action or keeping guys cool through tough times. That’s somewhere I took a big step. I want to be that leader, but the first step of that is making sure I’m in the right spot at all times and making plays. Continuing to work on overall football IQ is something I love to do.”