Edmunds on Caleb Williams: "Ton of respect for him, ton of confidence" |
LAKE FOREST, I.L. - Inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds spent his first five years in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills before the Chicago Bears acquired him in free agency prior to the 2023 season.
Chicago’s preseason game against the Bills was the first time he went against his former team. “It’s my first time, obviously, going back since I left. So, obviously, it’ll be a lot of emotions. But, it should definitely be a good time,” Edmunds said. “I was there for five years. So, just getting back there, it’s going to be exciting.” Edmunds was not able to practice much at the last training camp due to injury. This year, he is getting a full training camp, which is highly beneficial for him to develop chemistry with his teammates and be ready for the regular season. “I think it’s off to a good start, not just with me, but just defensively all together,” Edmunds said. “I think, obviously, most availability is being out there and being out there, seeing reps, going game speed, going full speed, and just adding those reps to your belt day in and day out, I think is definitely going to set you up to (start) off at a high level and that’s what the focus is for the whole defense - coming out, starting fast, not waiting, applying that pressure early. So, being able to be out there and, obviously, going full speed is definitely essential.” In his first season with the Bears, Edmunds had a career-high in interceptions with four and recorded 113 total tackles, including five tackles for loss. He also defended seven passes and recorded his first fumble recovery in the NFL. Because of his performance last year, he has high expectations for himself this season. “Obviously, expectations are high. That’s for myself, what I put on myself,” Edmunds said. “What I know that I can do, that’s what I’m trying to put on display … At the end of the day, the goal is to be the best, and what that looks like, obviously, is going to be different for everyone else. But, I know what it looks like for me. So, that’s what my focus is day in and day out.” Another player with high expectations on the defense is second-year defensive lineman Gervon Dexter. Dexter had a breakout game in Chicago’s victory against the Atlanta Falcons last season with 1.5 sacks. He will play a bigger role in the defense this season and dedicated the offseason to ensuring he is physically ready for that responsibility. “It’s just confidence level. He came back, (he’s) in a different type of shape. (He’s) running fast, coming out of the stack, getting to the ball. To be as big as he is, (he’s) moving at a good pace,” Edmunds said. “So, just seeing that from him, I’m excited. He’s making a lot of plays on the ball. Obviously, he has a big frame. So, just being around the ball, (batting) them down and everything like that, it’s going to help the team out because those are big plays.” On the offense, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams also has high expectations. Because he did not play in the Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans, Edmunds’ revenge game against the Bills will also be Williams’ NFL debut. While Edmunds says he is a “realist,” he also has a lot of confidence in Williams. “It’s a new time. But, I understand how the NFL goes as well. I’m not saying you got to come out here and be a superstar from day one because I’m a realist as well,” Edmunds said. “I understand it’s going to take repetition. It’s going to take going through some stuff. It’s going to take experience. Experience is the number one teacher … I got a ton of respect for him, ton of confidence in him.”
