Mario Edwards Bio
Mario Lashun Edwards Jr. (born January 25, 1994) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. Across his professional career, he has also been a member of the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Seattle Seahawks.
Listed at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and 280 lb (127 kg), Edwards has built a reputation as a durable interior defender who can rush the passer and anchor against the run. He is widely recognized as a five-star recruit who became a key contributor on a championship Florida State defense before transitioning to a long NFL career.
Early Life and Background
Mario Lashun Edwards Jr. was born on January 25, 1994, in Gautier, Mississippi, while his father, Mario Edwards Sr., was still in high school. While the elder Edwards played college football at Florida State, the younger Mario stayed in Mississippi with his grandmother, Ruth Chambers, and his father’s sister and two brothers. After Mario Edwards Sr. was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2000, the family relocated to the northern Dallas area in Texas.
Edwards attended Prosper High School for his freshman and sophomore years, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. As a freshman, he started at defensive end for the state champion Eagles and recorded 69 tackles with three sacks while also catching 17 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns. He then transferred to Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas. As a junior, he posted 127 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks, leading Denton Ryan to a state runner-up finish. As a senior in 2011, he added 72 tackles and 11 sacks and was named the USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year, earning All-American honors from USA Today, Parade, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. In track and field, Edwards competed as a shot putter and recorded a top throw of 15.08 meters at the 2012 Richardson Invitational, where he placed first.
Path to Professional Football
Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Edwards was ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect in his class and No. 3 overall, the highest ranking for a defensive tackle since Haloti Ngata in 2002. ESPN recruiting analyst Craig Haubert compared him favorably to Da’Quan Bowers at the same stage. Edwards took official visits to Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, and Louisiana State before committing to the Seminoles on January 24, 2012.
At Florida State, Edwards was initially projected to redshirt as a true freshman in 2012, but he was forced into action after the loss of Brandon Jenkins in week one. He appeared in 11 games and made his first career start in the 2012 ACC Championship Game, finishing with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. As a sophomore in 2013, he recorded 34 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and an interception while helping the Seminoles win the BCS national championship. Returning as a starter in 2014, Edwards posted 44 tackles and 3.0 sacks and earned First-team All-ACC honors, prompting him to enter the 2015 NFL draft after his junior year.
Mario Edwards Career
Oakland Raiders (2015-2018)
Edwards was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round, 35th overall, of the 2015 NFL Draft and signed a four-year, $6.01 million contract with $3.72 million guaranteed. He was placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2015, and again on September 5, 2016, due to a hip injury before being activated off injured reserve on December 23, 2016. After three seasons with Oakland, he was waived on September 1, 2018.
New York Giants and New Orleans Saints (2018-2019)
On September 2, 2018, Edwards was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants. The following offseason, on March 15, 2019, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. He appeared in a reserve role before being released on September 5, 2020.
Chicago Bears (2020-2022)
Edwards signed with the Chicago Bears on September 8, 2020, and produced his most productive NFL season, playing 15 games with 17 tackles and a career-high 4.0 sacks. On January 15, 2021, he was suspended by the NFL for the first two games of the 2021 season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, and on March 16, 2021, he signed a three-year, $11.5 million contract extension. The Bears released him on August 30, 2022.
Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans (2022)
On September 4, 2022, Edwards signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad before being signed by the Tennessee Titans off that practice squad on September 26, 2022. He appeared in a depth role during the season.
Seattle Seahawks (2023)
Edwards signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 15, 2023, continuing his career as a veteran interior presence.
Houston Texans Era (2024-Present)
On March 19, 2024, Edwards signed with the Houston Texans. He was suspended four games on October 14 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. In 13 appearances with 12 starts, he registered two pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, three sacks, and 31 combined tackles. On March 11, 2025, he re-signed with the Texans on a two-year, $9.5 million contract and played 14 games, recording 1.5 sacks and 13 combined tackles before a pectoral tear announced by head coach DeMeco Ryans on December 15 ended his season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Edwards is a powerful, gap-shooting defensive tackle with the size and length to anchor against double teams while also pushing the pocket as a pass rusher. His best production has come as a three-technique tackle, where his quick first step and strong hands have produced his career-high 4.0 sacks in 2020 and a steady stream of pressures against the run.
Notable Events and Milestones
Edwards’ signature moments include his BCS national championship at Florida State in 2013, his career-best 4.0 sacks with the Chicago Bears in 2020, and his re-signing with the Houston Texans on a two-year deal in March 2025. He reached 200 career tackles and 26 career sacks across his NFL tenure, milestones recorded by the league through 2025.
Mario Edwards Career Wins
Mario Edwards has accumulated 26.0 career sacks, 200 combined tackles, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 8 pass deflections across his NFL career as of 2025. His production has been distributed across eight teams, with his most disruptive season coming in 2020 with the Chicago Bears.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Edwards’ first sack came during his early seasons with the Oakland Raiders before injuries limited his rookie and sophomore campaigns. His most recent productive season came in 2024 with the Houston Texans, where he started 12 games and recorded three sacks, 31 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections. He added 1.5 sacks and 13 combined tackles in 2025 before a pectoral tear ended his campaign in December.
College and Other Performances
At Florida State, Edwards totaled 95 tackles and 8.0 sacks across three seasons while helping the Seminoles win the 2013 BCS national championship. He added 69 tackles and three sacks as a freshman at Prosper High School, then posted 127 tackles and 18 sacks as a junior at Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, before capping his prep career with 72 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior in 2011, when he was named USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year.
Mario Edwards Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Mario Edwards comes from a football family, with his father, Mario Edwards Sr., a former Dallas Cowboys draft pick out of Florida State in 2000. Edwards was born while his father was still in high school in Mississippi and spent part of his early childhood with his grandmother, Ruth Chambers, and his father’s siblings before the family moved to the northern Dallas area following his father’s draft selection.
Personal Life
Mario Edwards Jr. attended Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, where he established himself as one of the top recruits in the country. He went on to attend Florida State University, where he played three seasons of college football before declaring for the 2015 NFL draft. Beyond his family ties to the Dallas Cowboys through his father, limited additional personal details have been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
In his first year back on his two-year, $9.5 million contract, Mario Edwards Jr. played 14 games for the Houston Texans and recorded 1.5 sacks along with 13 combined tackles. On December 15, 2025, head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that Edwards would miss the remainder of the season due to a pectoral tear, cutting short an otherwise steady veteran campaign.
Following his December injury, reports indicated that Edwards was released by the Texans on March 11, 2026, after a failed physical, ending his second stint in Houston. Through 2025, his career totals stood at 26.0 sacks, 200 tackles, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 8 pass deflections, underscoring his longevity as an interior defensive lineman across eight NFL teams.
Looking ahead, the veteran defensive tackle is expected to evaluate his options in free agency as he recovers from the pectoral tear, with the possibility of signing with another NFL club in need of experienced defensive line help for the 2025 campaign.