The Eagles continue to build the safety room, adding veteran Terrell Edmunds with a one-year contract just a few days after bringing former Tampa Bay and New Orleans veteran Justin Evans into the mix.
"This is a great opportunity for me, a new start in my career," Edmunds said just moments after he put pen to paper on his deal. "Philadelphia, when you understand the way this team has performed and then you get here and you feel the energy in the building, shooting some baskets with Coach (Nick Sirianni), it's just exciting for me. I love the game of football and I'm here to play my best for the Eagles and perform."
Edmunds played the last five seasons with Pittsburgh after the Steelers made him a first-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. A Virginia Tech product, Edmunds started 75 of the 79 games he played the last five seasons and he had been a mainstay in the Steelers' secondary with his production and the intangibles he brings to the table – leadership, consistency, and football intelligence.
In the 2022 season, according to Pro Football Focus, Edmunds' 886 defensive snaps included plays in the box and in the slot, along with those at free safety, showing the versatility that he brings to the defense. Edmunds had 70 tackles (41 solo, three for loss), two sacks, and five passes defended.
"Playing safety, you have to be able to do a lot of things," Edmunds said. "You have to be in the box and be physical and support the run. You have to be able to cover in the post and run and do all those things in space. You have to communicate to the cornerbacks and make sure everybody is in the right position and on the same page. There's a lot going on and that's why I love it."
Having seen 2022 starters C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Detroit) and Marcus Epps (Las Vegas) depart in free agency, the Eagles are stacking talented players in the room to join holdovers Reed Blankenship, Andre Chachere, and K'Von Wallace.
Edmunds has been a football junkie his entire life. His father, Ferrell Edmunds Jr., played for seven seasons in the NFL with Miami and Seattle and made two Pro Bowls. All three sons – Trey (Steelers), Terrell (Pittsburgh and now Philadelphia), and Tremaine (Buffalo and now Chicago) – have been in the NFL.
"Football has always been part of my life. I'm not sure I had other choices (laughs)," Edmunds said. "My older brother played for the Saints and the Steelers, I played in Pittsburgh and now here, and Tremaine was in Buffalo and now he's in Chicago. We've shared a lot this offseason about our experiences. I'm so happy for him and how it went in Chicago. That means so much to our family. You're in the NFL and you want to keep playing and you get the feeling that every day you can be a better you. That's what I want here."
Edmunds is only 26 years old, so he has a lot of football ahead of him. The Eagles want to make sure they are well-equipped for all possibilities at the safety spot in the new Sean Desai defense. Even with Evans and Edmunds joining the mix for 2023, the team still has options to bring in more talent throughout the rest of the 2023 free agency and in the NFL Draft, where the team has two first-round picks at No. 10 and No. 30 overall.
The addition of Edmunds, though, ensures strong, solid play from a dependable, durable veteran who has seen it all and has played at a high level the last five seasons. He'll make the move across the state of Pennsylvania to begin a new challenge in a fresh, energetic environment and Edmunds will do as he's done throughout this career: Deliver every week with high-quality play and leadership on and off the field.
