You know the drill by now. Initial reports of a free-agent contract create a certain impression. The truth eventually arrives.
For the contract to be signed by linebacker T.J. Edwards, formerly of the Eagles, with the Bears, the initial reports are that it’s a three-year, $19.5 million deal with $12 million guaranteed.
The truth is that it can be as short as a one-year, $8 million deal.
The contract includes a signing bonus of $4.5 million, along with a roster bonus (due five days after execution) of $1.5 million. He also has a $100,000 workout bonus for 2023.
The rest of the guaranteed money ($4.125 million) comes from his $5.9 million base salary in 2024. It’s guaranteed for injury, and it remains that way.
The deal also includes a $5.4 million base salary in 2025, along with $100,000 workout bonuses in 2024 and 2025.
So, barring an injury that wipes Edwards out for 2024, it can be as little as one-year, $8 million — assuming he earns his workout bonus. The bare minimum will be $7.9 million.