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The Bears have granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribunereported on Wednesday.
Edmunds, who turns 28 in May, just finished the third year of the four-year, $72 million contract he signed with the Bears in 2023. In 13 games in 2025, he tallied 112 tackles, three tackles for a loss, four interceptions, nine pass deflections, and a sack. He played at a high level before a groin injury in November caused him to miss four games, upon which his production decreased. All told, he ranked sixth in the NFL in PFSN’s LB Impact Scoring at 89.3.
Releasing or trading Edmunds would free up $15 million in cap space for the Bears if they do so before March 15. Should they wait until after then to unload him, it would free up $14 million. Per OverTheCap, Chicago is over $4 million in the red, so creating cap space is a necessity.
Even with the increase in NFL cap space since 2023, Edmunds remains the third-highest paid off-ball linebacker in average annual salary at $18 million. The question hasn’t been whether he’s a solid football player, but rather, if his level of play justifies that large of a salary. Given Chicago’s choice to let him pursue a trade, the team seems to have revealed its answer.