Bears To Sign LB Devin Bush

The Bears briefly needed a starting linebacker after releasing Tremaine Edmunds last week. They will fill the void with former Brown Devin Bush, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Bush is signing a three-year, $30MM contract with $21MM in guarantees.

The Bears will already be Bush’s fourth team since he entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick in 2019. The former Michigan Wolverine spent his first four years with the Steelers before a one-season stop in Seattle. He was a Brown for two years. Cleveland wanted to retain Bush, but it will have to look elsewhere.

Although Bush started in 48 of 52 games with the Steelers, he was not a hot commodity in free agency in 2023. The Seahawks landed him on a deal worth up to $3.5MM, and Bush wound up with a higher snap share on special teams than as a defender. The Browns relied far more on Bush, whom they signed to back-to-back one-year contracts.

Bush is now reeling in a far richer payday with the Bears, who have been aggressive at the outset of free agency. They previously agreed to pacts with former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and ex-Colts defensive lineman Neville Gallimore. The club also agreed to re-sign linebacker D’Marco Jackson. He will provide depth behind Bush.

After the first 17-start season of his career in 2025, Bush will team with T.J. Edwards to comprise Chicago’s top two linebackers in 2026. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Bush registered career highs in tackles (125), passes defensed (eight), interceptions (three) and sacks (two) last season. He returned two of those INTs for touchdowns and recorded a league-high 164 return yards on his picks.

In addition to Bush’s gaudy traditional numbers, Pro Football Focus ranked his performance an eye-opening fourth among 88 qualifying linebackers in 2025. The Bears will bank on Bush carrying his breakout from Cleveland to the Windy City.