ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF)–The Chicago Bears have salary cap room, the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles don’t, so linebacker T.J. Edwards will be wearing a Bears uniform next season.

According to the NFL Network the Bears have a free agent deal with Edwards for three years and $19.5 million. It’s a homecoming for Edwards who’s a native of Lake Villa, a far northwest suburb of Chicago. He played high school football at Lake Villa Lakes High School. He played college football at Wisconsin, but he went undrafted in 2019.

Edwards developed into one of the NFL’s leading tacklers the last two seasons. Last season he was sixth in the league in total tackles with 159. He also had two sacks and ten tackles-for-loss, but because the Eagles have salary cap issues, they are forced to let some key players walk away from their NFC Championship team.

In 2021 Edwards had 130 tackles and one sack. He’s 26 years old. He’ll be entering his fifth NFL season with the Bears.