Another veteran Bears defender will be moved off the roster this year. The team is releasing Mario Edwards, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
The former Raiders second-round pick had settled into a rotational role with the Bears over the past two seasons, but he joins most of Chicago’s front-seven vets of recent years in being jettisoned by a new-look Bears front office.
Khalil Mack (trade), Akiem Hicks (free agency), Eddie Goldman (released, later retired), Danny Trevathan (released) and Bilal Nichols (free agency) have departed from the Bears’ front seven this offseason. Although Roquan Smith is back at practice and tied to a fifth-year option salary, he is not exactly on good terms with the team.
As for Edwards, he re-signed with the then-Ryan Pace-overseen Bears in 2021. After adding Edwards initially in 2020, the Bears gave him a three-year, $11.55MM second contract. The deal included void years, which will not leave much in the way of cap savings associated with Tuesday’s release. As a vested veteran, Edwards will pass straight to free agency.
Edwards, 28, recorded six sacks during his two-year Bears tenure. The Florida State alum logged 26% and 27% defensive snap rates during that time. He missed time during training camp due to injury this year, however.
Not shocked. He rarely practiced or played this preseason. Save some money and move on.
Building a 2023 salary cap war chest.
The writer trying to tie this release with the other former Bear’s linemen who are gone as some kind of trend, is ridiculous. Goldman pretty much just plain quit. Trevathan had lost all his quickness. Hicks and Mack, as good as they were, couldn’t stay on the field the last couple of seasons. And Edwards hasn’t been around at all this preseason and has had off the field issues in the past. These are all moves that the prior FO would’ve probably made as well.
I think your over reacting. I doubt Sam Robinson is so desperate to keep his job that he would invent some cockamamie conspiracy related to the release of Bear linemen.
Showing your age with the use of “cockamamie”. Nothing wrong with that though.
When people ask if I’m old I just tell them I’m “youthfully challenged”.
Very undisciplined. Always committing stupid after the play penalties