Edwards snapped a 31-race winless skid for his first victory since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.
He took the lead when he stayed out and the leaders pitted with 20 laps to go for his first win ever at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third, Matt Kenseth was fourth and Martin Truex Jr. was fifth.
Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson had combined to win the last seven Cup races on mile-and-a-half tracks. Johnson was denied a record-tying fifth win at the Coca-Cola 600 and his fourth victory of the season when he crashed on lap 282. Harvick finished in ninth place.
