Giants, Tremaine Edmunds Agree To Deal
Tremaine Edmunds has not needed to wait long to find his next NFL gig. The recently-released linebacker has lined up a deal with the Giants, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report.
Edmunds will collect $36MM on a three-year deal, per the report. That includes $23.7MM fully guaranteed. A busy day for the Giants includes this Edmunds contract, which can be made official before the start of the new league year since he was cut by the Bears recently.
John Harbaugh prioritized strong linebacker play in Baltimore, and that trend will continue in New York with Edmunds. Before turning 28 years old, he has started 119 games in eight NFL seasons with 900 tackles and 59 passes defended in his career. The only other player this century with the same resume is Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly.
Edmunds, though, is not on quite the same level. He has never been named to an All-Pro team and his last Pro Bowl was in 2020. The Bills 2018 first-rounder thrived next to Matt Milano during the first four years of his career, which earned him a four-year, $72MM deal in Chicago. But as a Bear, Edmunds never graded out higher than Pro Football Focus’ 35th-ranked off-ball linebacker (subscription required).
The Giants released Bobby Okereke last week, making it clear they were looking for a replacement to anchor Dennard Wilson‘s new defense. Edmunds, who has been a full-time starter for his entire career, will likely take the green dot in New York right away. The Giants will still need to find him a partner, which could come by re-signing Micah McFadden or adding a rookie in April’s draft.
Edmunds’ last deal made him the third-highest paid linebacker in the NFL. He will drop to eighth with today’s agreement, per OverTheCap, a reflection of the market’s lack of growth since Roquan Smith and Fred Warner signed their last contracts.
The Panthers were also interested in Edmunds, per ESPN’s David Newton, but they will need to look elsewhere for a running mate for Trevin Wallace.
Adam La Rose contributed to this story.
Bears, LB D’Marco Jackson Agree To Deal
The Bears will be without Tremaine Edmunds in 2026. Fellow linebacker D’Marco Jackson will remain in the fold, however.
Jackson has agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His new Bears contract is two years in length and it has a base value of $7.5MM. The pact can max out at $10.5MM, Rapoport adds. Today’s deal is now official.
Jackson will earn a solid raise after upping his stock last year in Chicago, which added him as a waiver claim in August. The Saints cut Jackson after the 2022 fifth-rounder from Appalachian State was unable to carve out a role in their defense. Jackson spent his rookie year on injured reserve and then played almost exclusively on special teams from 2023-24.
Edmunds and T.J. Edwards missed various periods with injuries last season, leaving Jackson to take on more defensive responsibilities. Across 17 games (four starts) and a career-high 261 defensive snaps, Jackson totaled 43 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Week 15. The 27-year-old logged nine tackles, a sack and a pick in a 31-3 blowout of the Browns.
Although Edmunds is now a Giant, Jackson will once again function as a reserve next season. The Bears will use Edwards and Devin Bush as their top two linebackers. They agreed to sign Bush, previously a Brown, to a three-year, $30MM deal on Monday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears To Release LB Tremaine Edmunds
Although a report indicated Tremaine Edmunds was drawing trade interest, the Bears will not end up unloading this contract as they will D.J. Moore‘s. Chicago will release Edmunds, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The Bears will save $15MM by making this move. Between the Moore trade and Drew Dalman‘s retirement, the Bears will create (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates) around $44MM in cap space. Of course, Chicago now needs a center. While Dalman’s retirement was stunning, the Bears looked set to move on from Edmunds for a bit now.
[RELATED: Examining Bears’ Offseason Blueprint]
Granted permission to seek a trade during the Combine, Edmunds will instead be moved off his lucrative contract. The Bears gave the former Bills first-round linebacker a four-year, $72MM deal that included a whopping $41.8MM guaranteed at signing in 2023. One of that year’s top free agents, Edmunds has been a key piece for Chicago’s defense over the past three years. But the Bears, who extended LB T.J. Edwards in 2025, will ditch this big-ticket deal and devote money elsewhere.
Edmunds was set to earn $13.9MM in base salary during the final year of his contract, with a cap number coming in at $17.5MM. The Bears decided they no longer wanted to carry that deal, one authorized before Ben Johnson‘s arrival. The Bears have used the Edmunds-Edwards tandem at linebacker for three seasons, but the team will need a replacement to play alongside the former Super Bowl starter next season.
Pro Football Focus graded Edmunds 35th overall among off-ball LBs in 2025; that came after two assessments outside the top 50. Edmunds, though, tallied 112 tackles despite missing four games. Only three of those were for loss, with the eight-year vet combining for just six TFLs over the past two seasons.
Although the coming season will be Year 9 for Edmunds, he is only 28. He played the 2018 campaign at age 20, being a full-season starter for the Bills. While Devin Lloyd is unlikely to be knocked off his perch as the top ILB available this offseason, Edmunds should still fare reasonably well on the open market. An $18MM-per-year windfall will not recur, but interest will emerge. Edmunds, 28 in May, does not need to wait until free agency opens Monday; since the Bears cut him, he passes straight to the market and can sign with another team immediately. The Bears did him a solid in that regard.
Entering the week over the cap, Chicago is expected (per OverTheCap) hold around $33MM in available funds soon. The Bears are set to save $10MM in 2026 cap space because of Dalman’s retirement, OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald adds. Chicago will be hit with a $4MM dead money charge due to the proration of Dalman’s $6MM signing bonus. The Bears could, however, aim to recoup that remaining $4MM of Dalman’s signing bonus. The team will hold the 2025 UFA signee’s rights in the event he comes out of retirement.
Tremaine Edmunds Generating Trade Interest; Titans, Raiders, Giants Potential Suitors?
The Bears granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade last week. It appears a deal has a realistic chance to come to fruition. Edmunds has “strong trade value,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. The Titans, Raiders and Giants all “like” the eight-year veteran, according to Fowler.
[RELATED: Bears Offseason Outlook]
Edmunds entered the NFL as the 16th overall pick of the Bills in 2018. As a 20-year-old rookie, Edmunds piled up 121 tackles, 12 passes defensed, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions over 15 games as a full-time starter. That was the first in a long line of productive seasons for Edmunds, who has started for his entire career.
Now a two-time Pro Bowler, the 27-year-old Edmunds has exceeded 100 tackles in every one of his seasons. He has also notched 59 PDs, 14 picks and 8.5 sacks.
Edmunds may be coming off his final season in Chicago, which took him from Buffalo on a four-year, $72MM offer with $50MM guaranteed in March 2023. At the time, it was the largest four-year deal ever given to an off-ball linebacker. Edmunds stepped in for Roquan Smith, whom the Bears traded to the Ravens during the previous season.
Aside from full campaigns in 2019 and ’24, Edmunds has missed at least some time in every season. While Edmunds sat out a career-worst four games as a result of a groin injury in 2025, he still managed 112 tackles, nine PDs and four INTs. Pro Football Focus rated Edmunds 35th among 88 qualifying players at his position.
Edmunds’ loss would create a hole in the Bears’ defense next to T.J. Edwards. Noah Sewell is a potential in-house replacement, but D’Marco Jackson is a pending free agent. Whether via trade or release, escaping the last season of Edmunds’ contract would be favorable to Chicago’s cap situation. As things stand, the Bears are approximately $6.48MM in the red. Getting rid of Edmunds before June 1 would free up $15MM at the cost of just $2.44MM in dead money. If Edmunds is off the Bears’ roster by Day 5 of the league year, they’ll avoid paying him a $1MM roster bonus.
As for potential suitors, the Titans and Raiders rank top two in the league in spending space. Taking on Edmunds’ money would not be a problem for either. The Giants are only around $2.78MM under the cap, on the other hand.
Edmunds would already be the second significant offseason trade acquisition for the Titans, who sent defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat to the Jets for defensive end Jermaine Johnson last week. Edmunds and Johnson would give recently hired head coach Robert Saleh two new defensive starters right off the bat.
The Raiders are facing the departure of starting middle linebacker Elandon Roberts to free agency. Fellow LBs Devin White and Jamal Adams are also on track to reach the open market. Meanwhile, the Giants may lose pending free agent Micah McFadden, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 1 last season. Bobby Okereke has been a full-time starter for the Giants for three years, but he may end up a cap casualty this offseason. If that happens, perhaps Edmunds will slide in as his replacement.
Bears Grant LB Tremaine Edmunds Permission To Seek Trade
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.
Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds, TE Cole Kmet Could Be Cap Casualties
The Bears have quietly become a very expensive football team. At the moment, the team is projected to be above the 2026 salary cap by $5.3MM, per OverTheCap, with 13 players currently scheduled for a cap hit over $10MM.
Chicago can become cap-compliant with a few simple restructures. But a team that was two wins away from the Super Bowl in 2025 will be looking to add to their roster to gear up for another playoff run. That could lead them to consider releasing a few veterans with high cap numbers.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and tight end Cole Kmet are the Bears’ top potential cap casualties, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Edmunds is scheduled for a $17.4MM cap hit in 2026, while Kmet will account for $10.8MM. Those are hefty figures for players at non-premium positions, and the team may already have cheaper, younger replacements for both players on the roster. Neither has guaranteed money remaining on their contract.
Edmunds is the likelier release candidate, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Edmunds, 27, is entering the final year of the four-year deal that brought him to Chicago during free agency in 2023. He and T.J. Edwards, the Bears’ other starting inside linebacker, missed a combined 11 games last season, during which time D’Marco Jackson and Nephi Sewell emerged as solid contributors at the position.
Edwards still has guaranteed money on his deal, but the team could save $15MM against the cap by cutting Edmunds. Jackson and Sewell would then be positioned for a training camp battle for the right to start next to Edwards in the middle of the defense.
Kmet, 26, saw a decreased role in 2025 after the arrival of rookie tight end Colston Loveland, and his production dropped accordingly. But Kmet had already taken a step back in 2024, and Loveland looks ready to step into a leading role role in 2026. The Bears still use plenty of two tight end sets and do not have a clear TE2 on the roster, making him a less likely cap casualty candidate, per Cronin. Such a move would create $8.4MM in cap space.
An even less likely move for the Bears would be trading D.J. Moore, though it is not completely out of the question, according to Cronin. He is due $24.25MM in each of the next four years, per OverTheCap, though only this year’s compensation is guaranteed. Other teams may value multiple years of contract control of a proven star wideout who has yet to cross 30 years of age. With no guaranteed money left after 2026, an acquiring team could also move on without issue during any of the next three offseasons if Moore is no longer worth his salary.
Chicago has Rome Odunze and Luther Burden as the long-term core of their receiver room, so they might be willing to move on from Moore for the right draft compensation. The added resources in terms of cap room and draft picks would help them fill his snaps while saving money for upgrades at other positions.
Bears Activate LB Tremaine Edmunds
DECEMBER 20: The Bears have activated Edmunds and elevated wide receiver Maurice Alexander from their practice squad.
DECEMBER 19: Set for a crucial meeting with the NFC North rival Packers on Saturday, the Bears could see one of their most important defenders return from IR. They’re planning to activate linebacker Tremaine Edmunds before the game, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
A groin injury forced Edmunds to the shelf on Nov. 22, and the Bears opened his practice window on Monday. That gave them 21 days to activate the 27-year-old, but it appears he’ll be back much quicker than that.
The Bears were off to a surprising 7-3 start when they lost Edmunds, who was a key contributor during that stretch. The two-time Pro Bowler has tallied 89 tackles, four interceptions (tied for a career high), nine passes defensed, and a sack this year. Thanks in part to Edmunds, the Bears lead the NFL with 30 takeaways and 21 INTs.
Having won three of four in Edmunds’ absence, the 10-4 Bears are atop their division and in second place in the conference entering Week 16. The Packers could knock them off the NFC North pedestal with a win in Chicago, though. They defeated the Edmunds-less Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 14.
Edmunds’ return may give the Bears a better chance of preventing a season sweep at the hands of the Packers, though D’Marco Jackson filled in well while he was out. Jackson earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after notching seven tackles, a sack, and a pick in a 31-3 blowout over Cleveland last Sunday. He played 67% of defensive snaps against the Browns. Fellow linebacker T.J. Edwards was on the field for all 57 defensive plays. He and Edmunds should again comprise the Bears’ top two LBs, but Jackson at least gives defensive coordinator Dennis Allen another capable option.
Bears Designate LB Tremaine Edmunds For Return From IR
The Bears could have a key defensive figure back in the fold in time for Week 16. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has returned to practice, the team announced on Monday. 
Edmunds remains on injured reserve at this point as he recovers from a groin injury. Having missed the minimum four games, though, it is certainly an encouraging sign he has managed to suit up for practice at the first opportunity. Head coach Ben Johnson recently expressed optimism about Edmunds’ chances of playing again this season, and today’s news is a strong sign in that direction.
After playing out his rookie contract and fifth-year option in Buffalo, Edmunds signed with the Bears in free agency. The two-time Pro Bowler has operated as a full-time starter since then, missing only two games prior to the 2025 campaign during that stretch. After a notable absence, Edmunds will look to reprise his role as one of the top producers on a Chicago defense which has navigated numerous injuries to starters all season.
The Bears lead the league in interceptions but they have plenty of room for improvement in other areas. Getting Edmunds back could offer a boost down the stretch. The 27-year-old has posted 89 tackles, four interceptions, nine pass deflections and one interception so far in 2025. The former first-rounder will add to those figures if Chicago is able to activate him in time for Saturday’s critical matchup with the Packers.
Chicago currently has three IR activations remaining for the regular season. Bringing Edmunds back into the fold this week (or sometime later within his practice window) will use up one of those. Provided he does manage to return, however, the 10-4 Bears will welcome back an impact presence late in the campaign as their efforts to clinch top spot in the NFC North continue.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Packers, Willis
Chicago (9-3) and Green Bay (8-3-1) will renew their storied rivalry on Sunday with first place in the NFC North on the line. The Bears snapped an 11-game losing streak at Lambeau Field last season. Another victory there in Week 14 would clinch the Bears’ first season of double-digit wins since 2018. The Packers lead the all-time series 108-96-6.
Here’s more on the two teams heading into Sunday’s meeting:
- Journeyman quarterback Case Keenum accepted the Bears’ one-year offer worth up to $3MM last March. It turns out that Keenum was ready to retire before he signed with the Bears, Dan Pompei of The Athletic writes in an interesting profile of the 37-year-old. Previously with the Texans, Keenum missed all of last season with a Lisfranc injury before joining the Bears, his eighth NFL team. While he hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2023, Keenum’s presence has benefited the Bears’ young quarterbacks. Keenum has formed a bond with starter Caleb Williams and No. 2 signal-caller Tyson Bagent, as Pompei’s piece details. Rookie head coach Ben Johnson also appreciates having Keenum aboard. “He’s another voice of reason for me, a guy that knows he’s not going to hurt my feelings and tell me how he sees it through a player’s lens, which I think is invaluable for me,” said Johnson, whose team is atop the conference. Keenum has considered going into coaching when his playing career ends, according to Pompei.
- Sticking with the Bears, Johnson is hopeful linebacker Tremaine Edmunds will return this year. “I think so, yeah,” Johnson recently said when asked if Edmunds would play again in 2025 (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). A groin injury forced Edmunds to IR on Nov. 22. The two-time Pro Bowler has missed a pair of games since then, and he’ll sit out at least two more. In a best-case scenario, Edmunds will be back for a Week 16 rematch with Green Bay. While the Bears have gone 2-0 in Edmunds’ absence, he has been one of their most productive defenders this season. Edmunds has posted 89 tackles, four interceptions, and nine passes defensed in 10 games.
- Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis performed well in place of an injured Jordan Love last year, helping the team to wins in each of his two starts. Love has stayed healthy this season, which has limited Willis to three pass attempts (all completions). Considering Willis’ desire to compete for a starting job and a forthcoming pay raise in the offseason, his time with the Packers may be winding down, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. Willis, who’s a few months from reaching free agency, could earn anywhere from $5MM to $8MM per year, three NFC personnel officials told Silverstein. That may prove too pricey for Green Bay, which could lead the 26-year-old Willis to his third NFL team. He entered the league as a 2022 third-round pick of the Titans, who traded him to the Packers for a 2025 seventh-rounder before last season.
Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR
3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.
Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.
1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.
If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.
With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.
Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% snap share ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.
Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.
Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.
The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as the only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.