Tremaine Edmunds is already proving to be a culture fit with Chicago Bears

Even the most casual football fan would recognize that linebacker is the first position associated with the Chicago Bears. The history of Hall-of-Famers who lined up on the second level of the Bears’ defense at Soldier Field is impressive. Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher are all on the shortlist for the best middle linebacker in NFL history, and they’ve all donned Bears blue and orange.

Tremaine Edmunds has a long way to go before joining that array. The Chicago Bears signed him to a four-year, $72 million contract because they believe he’s a perfect fit for Matt Eberflus’ defense, born from the same concepts that made Urlacher a star. Perhaps it will have the same effect on Edmunds.

Edmunds has started all 74 games he’s played as a pro since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2018. He played the fewest games of his career in 2022 (13) but still managed to continue his streak of 100-tackle seasons, he’s never had a year with less than the century mark.

More impressive than his tackle numbers is his range as a player. Tremaine Edmunds is a top-shelf linebacker in coverage. He had an elite 90.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022. It was a breakout season for the 24-year-old.

That same level of production is expected from Edmunds with the Chicago Bears.

“I mean, why wouldn’t you want to come to a place like this?” Edmunds said at his introductory press conference. “They’ve had a lot of great guys come through here. I’m a big believer that you’ve got to pay respect to those guys who came before because that’s who we’re striving to be like, not exactly imitate their game but take a little bit from everybody and put it into your own game.

“The Chicago Bears are known for their linebackers, and I want to be able to write my story and be that next great linebacker here.”

Edmunds will wear No. 49 for the Bears in 2023. It’ll be an odd sight for fans used to seeing Butkus” 51, Singletary’s 50, and Urlacher’s 54. But as long as he’s making plays, they’ll get used to it quickly.

One thing is evident already with Chicago’s biggest free agent signing of 2023: he’s the kind of player GM Ryan Poles wants in the locker room. Edmunds is a leader, even at his young age, and will get the best out of his Bears teammates. He was voted captain by his Bills teammates at just 21 years old, and he speaks the same HITS language that’s become Eberflus” mantra since taking over as the Chicago Bears’ head coach.

Sure, we’re in the honeymoon phase of Edmunds’ signing, but he’s off to a great start.

“We talk about talent. All of the guys are talented in the league,” Edmunds said. “But when you talk about effort, you talk about relentlessness and you talk about guys that just care, guys that finish plays, guys that give it their all, when you turn the film on you can tell that from guys.

‘It’s more than just talent, because in this league talent is only going to get you to a certain point. You’ve got to figure out what’s going to set yourself apart, and I’m going to give it my all each and every time I step foot on that field. That’s how I was raised. That’s my identity, and that’s who I am as a player.”