The Bears held a walkthrough, so this was an estimated practice report, but it’s still notable that Edmunds was not on the field. As of now, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is not concerned about Edmunds’ ability to suit up on Monday against the Saints.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Edmunds' four-year deal is the largest contract for an inside linebacker in the NFL. This is apparently what teams do when they have over $90 million in cap space to spend on available players, as Edmunds will receive $50 million in guaranteed money on the deal. A two-time Pro Bowler, Edmunds was arguably one of the worst coverage linebackers in the league through his first four seasons but earned an elite 88.1 coverage grade on PFF in 2022. Boasting elite size and athleticism, Edmunds officially enters his age-25 season with lofty expectations after signing this historic deal. 

Edmunds is a free agent who could be priced out of Buffalo's plans, but neither Terrel Bernard nor Baylon Spector have proven reliable enough to replace Edmunds. Edmunds is coming off what Buscaglia describes as a career-best season. The more negative spin on that is that Edmunds' 81.9 PFF grade in 2022 was the highest of his career by about 30 points. Edmunds will only turn 25 in May, so he'll be a hot free agent despite a history of rough play. 

With back-to-back DNPs after not playing in Week 10 or Week 11, it's likely that Edmunds will be ruled out for Thursday. Tyrel Dodson has been playing in his place. Buffalo's defense has not played up to their early-season form with Edmunds out.