The Bears are allowing veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to seek a trade, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Edmunds, 27, has started 45 games in Chicago over the last three years. He arrived in 2023 as a replacement for Roquan Smith, who had been traded to the Ravens during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Edmunds a four-year, $72MM deal ($41.8MM fully guaranteed); his $18MM AAV ranks third among inside linebackers.
Originally the No. 16 pick by the Bills in 2018, Edmunds partnered with Matt Milano in the middle of Buffalo’s defense for the first five years of his career. He led the team in tackles in all but one year and earn Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020.
Edmunds finished his time in Buffalo with 565 tackles (32 for loss), 35 passes defended, and five interceptions in 74 starts. He dealt with a few injuries but only missed eight games.
In Chicago, Edmunds played alongside T.J. Edwards and racked up 335 tackles (11 for loss), 24 passes defended, and nine interceptions in the last three years.
High-end inside linebacker play can be hard to find, so Edmunds could garner some interest on the trade market. He is one of two linebackers this century with at least 900 tackles and 50 passes defended before turning 28, per senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. The other is Luke Kuechly, who was recently elected into the Hall of Fame.
Edmunds’ size, athleticism, and youth are all major pluses; he has also improved as a tackler and in coverage throughout his career. The importance of experience and processing at the linebacker position also helps Edmunds’ value, as many veteran LBs get better with age.
However, Edmunds is owed $15MM next season, per OverTheCap. Since 2026 is the last year of his current contract, he may want an extension from a new team. That could be an obstacle to a trade, as teams may not want to pay him at the top of the linebacker market. They may also be waiting for the Bears to simply release Edmunds rather than use draft capital to acquire him and his pricey salary. Allowing a player to seek a trade is often a precursor for releasing that player as a cap casualty. Chicago would save $15MM against the 2026 salary cap with such a move with a $2.44MM dead cap charge.
The Bears would then have to find a replacement for Edmunds in the middle of their defense. Noah Sewell and D’Marco Jackson – who both played over 300 snaps in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) – will likely compete for the starting job next to Edwards.
Demarco Jackson is a free agent, although likely to resign with Chicago. Sewell tore his Achilles at the end of the season and may miss some or all of next season. Chicago will be drafting or signing at least one FA LB.
Likely drafting/signing minimum 2 and hope Jackson is one of them at a reasonable raise.
Dallas would be perfect. Too expensive and Dallas has shown an unwillingness to pay premium at lb position. But he would fit perfect in the middle next to agent 0..A man can wish huh??
Why trade for an overpaid player when they already have financial maneuvering to do and it’s a good draft for off ball linebackers?
It would be better for Dallas to get a proven lb this year out of free-agency. Our lb picks the last few years have been subpar. This Shemar James has potential the 5th rounder from last year. With the injury history of Demo and the youngsters it would be in the best interest to get a vet at lb this year. Not just for Edmunds but anyone. I do agree on the lb in this year in the draft tho. There are some good ones!
Edmunds is solid, but as Cowboys fan myself I would much rather get Styles at 12 or CJ Allen at 20
Edmunds has always been a better physical specimen than linebacker. He had youth and athleticism on his side, but t’s not shocking that giving him market setting money was going to come with buyer’s remorse a couple years later.
Edmunds is fine, but not at the price Poles paid for him. Trading Roquan Smith was a bonehead move.
Yeah Roquan would have been the perfect Dennis Allen LB. Actually if you were to design the perfect Dennis Allen LB would have been Wilbur Marshall.
Smith wore out his welcome in Chicago with his training camp hold out crap.
A lot of guys have done that. And Poles was in his first season as GM. I think if it had happened after he had some more experience under his belt, he would’ve managed to make it work. Smith was already playing at an ALL PRO level and you just can’t let young, exceptional guys like that get away. He would’ve been a huge piece for them to have right now.
Edmunds has been a high level player for most of his career, at least partially due to his sideline to sideline speed and big play ability.
He’ll definitely have suitors if he can prove he’s healthy. I was really shocked when Buffalo let him walk.
Now watch the Bears go out and sign 37 year old Demario Davis simply because Dennis Allen is familiar with him 🙂
I hope your wrong. But you are so right on that. Another aging possibly worn down defender like Grady Jarrett.
Devin Lloyd? Leo Chenal?
He was always going to be cut. He really doesn’t fit Allen’s scheme anyway. Allen likes fast LB’s who can cover and Edmunds best quality was his height and his ability to get into the passing lanes and disrupt routes. Not exactly sure what idiots are doing the mock drafts for the Bears but I expect at least 1 if not 2 LB’s to be drafted and another FA to be signed at least because the whole LB core is decimated by bad contracts and constant injury. Mostly depends on exactly how much money Poles can renegotiate and trade his way into. I don’t see how he can talk about bringing back Kmet, Moore and Brisker at the salaries they will want or are owed. I think he’s whistling past the graveyard. It’s not practical or even possible. His defensive line solution last year turned out to be mostly busts( Odeyingbo,Turner and Jarrett) And they are all still going to be here. Good Luck. They better be suing the NFL for those compensatory draft picks. They’ll need them.
Tremaine Edmunds isn’t fast? Thats a new one.
Covering guys 1 on 1 is not in Edmunds wheelhouse. Like I said he’s better in zone which Allen doesn’t like playing. He’s into rush the QB, Make him play fast and make mistakes and Blitzing, All things Edmunds isn’t really exceptional at. Edmunds and Edwards are Eberlose bend don’t break defense players. Allen wants to attack but really didn’t have the personnel to do it. It’s too bad but the perfect guy to play for Allen would have been Roquan Smith.
Could they afford Lloyd with some releasing-manuevering?
Well yeah. Just releasing Edmunds saves 15 million and Floyd played for 10 last year. Doesn’t change the fact that Floyd is more of a 3-4 LB and Allen doesn’t play that. Plus he couldn’t cover my mother which doesn’t really solve the problem does it? The problem with the Cap is the guys they should be releasing, Oyedingbo, Jarrett, Edwards, are injured and have guaranteed deals for next year. You can’t afford to pay a B/U TE 11 million bucks no matter what he says. What they really need to do IMO is convert Gordon to FS. Re sign Byard. Kind of takes care of the safety problem. Trade down #25 to a high second and other picks. Get the NFL to pay up the comp picks. Do some more of the trading down he did last year. If they could trade down and end up with something like 2 seconds, 3 thirds 2 fourths that’s where they can draft some depth until after next year when they can lose Moore, Odeyingbo, Edwards, Jarrett, and some other Cap killers then they’d be set. I think they could get a 3rd for Kmet if they were creative about it. I haven’t really looked at the FA LB situation much because it’s pointless until the new year starts and everyone gets cut loose. But I’m assuming there will be some bargains out there. They won’t be players at the top of the market but they should get somebody useful.
I think Poles is gonna try and re-do Moore’s deal IF Moore is willing. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he negotiates an injury release settlement with Dayo. That guy won’t be ready to play after that achilles tear. He’s gonna have to cut bait on that one..
No way Poles gets a 3rd for a backup TE making $11 mil. Look for a restructure or an extension there.
Anybody believe Kmet isn’t a starter? I mean he’s not right now on the Bears but they really can’t afford to keep him. If they were in a better Cap situation you could pull it off. But they’re really not. And I don’t see why they couldn’t get a 3rd for a starting TE who can block and catch. 11 million isn’t much to pay a starting TE. But it’s horrible for a B/U.
I know PFF’s stats and grades can be skewed, but last year Devin Lloyd had an 83 grade in run defense and 81 grade in pass coverage. Considered the 3rd highest graded linebacker overrall last year.
Didn’t know which Lloyd you were talking about. Thought you meant Floyd. Not really worth thinking about until you see the whole FA class. The Bears aren’t really in a position to think big this year until we see exactly how sharp Poles pencil gets. Why I’m laughing at the Trent Williams, Crosby crap. It’s just that -crap.
Looked up Lloyd, He made an AAV of 3 million bucks a year for the Jags and he’s 27 so yeah monetarily he’s doable. Sooner rather than later, The Bears will have to start listening to Allen’s input on the type of guys he wants. Much rather they drafted them and let him teach them his way, It’s way more economical in the long run. The positions that the Bears need most can be obtained in rounds 2-5 most years( LB, S,DT) and LB is a deep class supposedly this year. If they re sign Jackson and bulk up Hyppolite a little it’s a start and hope Edwards can at least fill in some next year to get some bang for their buck. Lose Sewell, I don’t think he’s been very good when he has been on the field. Not sure why Lloyd would want to leave the Jags though but anything is possible. FA is mostly a sucker game as proven by Oyedingbo and Jarrett. You usually regret it. Thuney and Jackson were trades and Dalman worked out but it’s still not the way to go.
Here. You make sense. 🙌
Edmunds will get interest out there especially for teams with plenty of cap space. Bears probably looked to restructure his deal and maybe add a year or two and Edmunds is probably banking on himself to get a deal after 2026. For the Bears it would be about $15MM in cap space to be allocated differently