Veteran free-agent defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Houston Texans on Tuesday, according to a league source. The 30-year-old is regarded as a strong fit for head coach DeMeco Ryans' 4-3 defensive scheme. Edwards was a former second-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2015 out of Florida State. He played for the Seattle Seahawks last year and has also appeared with the Raiders, Bears, Saints, Giants and Titans in his nine NFL seasons. The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder has recorded 156 career tackles (110 solo), 21.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, 52 QB hits, six passes defended and four forced fumbles in 114 games (33 starts). Edwards is versatile and can play all along the defensive line and is likely to play a rotational role in Houston in 2024.
Veteran free-agent defensive end Mario Edwards (knee) visited with the Houston Texans on Monday, according to a league source. Edwards missed the last game of the year in 2023 while playing for the Seattle Seahawks, but he should be good to go this fall for the start of the 2024 season. The 30-year-old former second-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2015 out of Florida State had 21 tackles (15 solo), two sacks, five tackles for loss, six QB hits and a forced fumble in 15 games (one start) in his first season with Seattle last year. Edwards' best days are behind him, so he's not going to be on the fantasy radar in IDP leagues. In his nine years in the NFL, he has a total of 21.5 sacks, 156 tackles (110 solo), 28 tackles for loss, 52 QB hits, six passes defended and four forced fumbles in 114 games (33 starts).
The Seattle Seahawks signed free-agent defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. and Forrest Merrill to undisclosed deals on Monday. Linebacker Michael Ayers and defensive end Jacob Sykes were waived to make room on the roster. A former second-round pick in 2015 by the Las Vegas Raiders, Edwards will join his sixth NFL team after recording 17 tackles (11 solo), three sacks, four tackles for loss and 11 QB hits in 13 games (seven starts) for the Tennessee Titans in 2022. The 29-year-old has 19.5 career sacks in 99 games played (32 starts) over eight seasons. Merrill, 26, was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, and he's played in just one NFL season (four games).
The Seattle Seahawks have signed defensive end Mario Edwards to a one-year deal. The 29-year-old visited with the Seahawks in March, but didn't decide to sign until now. He has bounced around the league quite a bit since being drafted in the second round by the Raiders in 2015. Last season, Edwards recorded three sacks and a career-high 11 quarterback hits in 13 games (seven starts) with the Tennessee Titans. The expectation is that Edwards is going to be a rotational piece on the Seahawks d-line.
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran free-agent defensive end Mario Edwards to an undisclosed deal on Sunday, according to a source. Edwards was recently released by the Chicago Bears after he recorded eight tackles (two solo), five QB hits and only two interceptions in 12 games (one start) last season. The 28-year-old pass-rusher was originally a second-round pick in 2015 by the Las Vegas Raiders out of Florida State. In his seven NFL seasons, Edwards has 118 tackles (84 solo), 16.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, 35 QB hits, four passes defensed and three forced fumbles in 86 games (25 starts). In the Jaguars improved defensive line, Edwards should serve in a rotational role in 2022.
Mario Edwards Jr. Returns To Chicago On Three-Year Deal
The Chicago Bears and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. finalized a three-year, $11.5 million deal, according to sources. The 27-year-old had a career-high four sacks in 15 games for Chicago last year. Edwards signed with the team less than a week before the regular season in 2020 and emerged as a consistent pass-rushing threat. However, he will miss the first two games of 2021 after he was suspended in January for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Edwards was a second-round pick out of Florida State by the Raiders in 2015. He spent the first three seasons of his career in Oakland before one-year stops with the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Chicago Bears defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. has been suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2021 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Edwards is eligible to become a free agent this offseason and will have to serve his suspension when he signs with a new team. He had a career-high four sacks with the Bears during the 2020 season. The NFL is also investigating a legal issue involving Edwards stemming from an incident last year at a hotel in North Carolina. The 26-year-old was issued a criminal summons on a charge of misdemeanor assault on a female, but a court date has not been set. The two incidents surely aren't good as he enters the free-agent market.
Mario Edwards Jr. Charged With Misdemeanor Assault
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney's office in North Carolina. The incident occurred on Oct. 17, the night before the Bears played the Panthers. No court date has been set. The woman in question accused Edwards of hitting her eye and dragging her out of his hotel room after she started recording him during an argument. She also claimed to be pregnant at the time of the attack and required hospitalization. Peter Schaffer, Edwards' agent, denied his client was involved in any wrongdoing. The 26-year-old Edwards has just 14 tackles on the season and four sacks in 12 games played. He could be facing a suspension next season. The Bears Defense should be considered a low-end fantasy option in 12-team leagues in Week 15 against the Vikings.
