The Bears weren’t blindsided by the trade of Justin Fields to the Steelers last month. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“It’s tough, man,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said Tuesday. “You grow with these guys. You go through a lot. Go through all those uncomfortable times of losing games but also the good times of winning.
“But sadly that is the NFL. That is the reality of what we do. You just wish him the best. Good people. . . . Anyone who comes in here is truly a good person. So with good people, you want them to have great things moving forward, and that’s what we want for him.”
Right tackle Darnell Wright considered himself friends with Fields in their lone season together.
“I just thought to myself, ‘Whatever works best for the team, best for him,’ ” he said. “I hope he does well. I know he’ll do well.”
Edwards, who went to Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa, knows the pressure that comes with playing for a franchise so starved for elite quarterback play. He was one of the Bears’ veterans who went to dinner with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the likely No. 1 pick, earlier this month.
A rookie quarterback doing well would be “incredible for all of us,” Edwards said.
“I think that’s the hope,” he said. “We’ll embrace them, and they’ll fit into our culture. Because I know our front office does their research, for sure.”
Wright is excited about Williams, too.
“I think once all the media stuff [during the draft] dies down, he’ll get to work just like any other player would,” Wright said. “He’ll be good.”
Team fit
Edwards stressed the importance of bringing in players — both via free agency and the draft — who mesh with the Bears’ culture.
“I think the biggest thing is kind of a team fit,” he said. “A guy who is going to fit into the locker room and also help us win games. I’m definitely confident in whoever they pick with any of their draft selections and how that goes. We’ll be just fine.”
Fitting in is easy, Edwards said, so long as players are honest.
“It’s a great group,” he said. “If you come in and you’re authentic and you are yourself, it’s hard not to fit into what we got going on here.”
Still here
General manager Ryan Poles said he was “blessed out of my socks” to have assistant GM Ian Cunningham back for a third year. Cunningham interviewed for the Commanders’ GM job in January and the Titans’ and Cardinals’ jobs the year before.
Poles praised Cunningham, a fellow former offensive lineman and one of his best friends, for not being a “yes man” during their draft debates. Cunningham seemed to relish another season with Poles.
“I know my opportunity will come,” Cunningham said. “It’s been fun. It’s been a fun ride. Looking forward to this week and kind of see things through.”
