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Former Chicago Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds
After trading star wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, the Chicago Bears weren’t done altering their roster.
Chicago had just $8.15 million in cap space after the Moore trade, according to over the Cap, but the team is now flush with cash after with NFL free agency just a few days away.
Bears Release Star LB Tremaine Edmunds
GettyFormer Chicago Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds
The Bears had several players drawing trade interest over the last few weeks.
And while defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, quarterback Tyson Bagent, and offensive tackle Braxton Miller may be traded at some point this offseason, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds won’t be.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed on Thursday night that Chicago is cutting Edmunds — a move that will save the team $15 million in cap space.
“Bears are releasing former Pro-Bowl LB Tremaine Edmunds, per sources,” Schefter reported. “Edmunds has been a full-time starter in each of his eight NFL seasons, and he now will become a free agent with 900 tackles on his resume.”
ESPN’s Field Yates added: “Between the trade of DJ Moore, release of Tremaine Edmunds and retirement of Drew Dalman, the Bears have about $44M in new cap space as of this week. Be it addressing C or fortifying the defense, Chicago has spending power.”
The 27-year-old Edmunds had a productive three seasons with the Bears. He hit the 100-tackle mark every year while recording two sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine interceptions, and 24 passes defensed.
Given his age and how productive he’s been, there’s expected to be a big market for Edmunds.
Assessing the Bears’ Salary Cap Situation
Edmunds’ release may not be the only one Chicago has planned.
Running back D’Andre Swift ($7.47 million) and guard Jonah Jackson ($5.5 million) are potential salary cap casualties, and Bagent ($4.25 million) could be traded to free up more cap room.
“This is a unique situation where we’ve gotten our roster in a position where we have a lot of talented players, a lot of guys getting paid well, and that puts some constraints on the cap,” general manager Ryan Poles told reporters at the combine.
“So we got to make some tough decisions. And, you know, like I said, when we win games, you create these relationships. There’s leadership guys or guys that were captains that mean a lot to our organization. But when you’re kind of put in a corner, that’s what league’s been and has been.”
With Dalman’s retirement ($10 million), Edmunds’ release ($15 million), and trading Moore ($24.5 million), the Bears are over $44 million in cap space to work with right now.
The team can also free up more money by restructuring contracts for defensive end Montez Sweat ($9.85 million), offensive lineman Joe Thuney ($7.6 million), defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo ($7.39 million), cornerback Jaylon Johnson ($6.97 million), and offensive guard Jonah Jackson ($6.88 million).
Chicago can also add more cap space by extending Sweat ($15.76 million), Thuney ($12.16 million), Odeyingbo ($11.82 million), and Johnson ($11.14 million).
Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He has more than a decade of experience working for both local and national news outlets covering the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football, and MMA. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Athlon Sports, The Hockey News, the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, and Yardbarker. More about Michael Gallagher
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