It was always common knowledge that the Chicago Bears would be making some difficult decisions regarding the salary cap. They’re $10 million in the red and will need to do some serious work to regain some flexibility. One of their options is to unload some of their larger contracts. Almost from the start, everybody pointed to linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Bears gain $15 million by moving him out. The only question was if they’d pull the trigger, already having questions at linebacker.
We got the answer to that question when Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed on Twitter that the team has granted Edmunds and his agent permission to seek a trade elsewhere. This is typically what happens when two parties are preparing for a divorce. If the player can find a trade destination, the team will oblige by working out a deal. If nothing materializes, then it’s likely Edmunds will be cut before the start of the new league year on March 11th. While not a surprise, it is an important development.
Losing Tremaine Edmunds will muddle the Bears’ plans.
They already have several questions at linebacker. T.J. Edwards battled several injuries last season. Noah Sewell and D’Marco Jackson are both free agents. The team doesn’t have any clear pillar to build around. Will they get any draft compensation for him? It’s possible. The free agent market isn’t great. Edmunds is still in his prime and productive when healthy. If a team really wants him and does want to risk losing him to another team, flipping a late round pick to the Bears would make sense.
The initial assumption is that Chicago will look to bring Jackson back. He played really well when given opportunities after Edwards and Edmunds went down with injuries. Retaining him shouldn’t be overly expensive. He knows the defense and is still young. It would be a logical first step in the retooling of the position. From there, it becomes about whether they dabble in free agency for some help. Demario Davis will be available. He knows Allen’s defense better than most.
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More likely this Edmunds situation pushes linebacker up the list of draft needs.
The Bears picked a good year to do this.
While it’s not the deepest position in the 2026 draft, early signs indicate there is a very talented crop of linebackers at the top. Names like Sonny Styles, Anthony Hill Jr., Jacob Rodriguez, and Josiah Trotter have drawn rave reviews from draft experts. All have earned comparisons to some of the best linebackers in the NFL. With the Bears picking 25th overall, it’s not crazy to think a linebacker will be their best option on the board. Knowing Tremaine Edmunds is on his way out, this might be the perfect opportunity to strike.
Head coach Ben Johnson has said he’s not interested in focusing on needs. He and GM Ryan Poles want to draft good football players. They’ll figure out the rest later. That is a great philosophy to have, which is why linebacker is very much in play for the 1st round. The Bears have said they’re focused on adding more team speed. Expect that to be a primary focus with whoever they target. Those 40 times at the scouting combine will be a significant hint.
