Bears grant Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek trade for tremaine edmunds
The Chicago Bears have granted tremaine edmunds permission to seek a trade, a move tied to the club's need to create cap room as the team sits more than $4 million over the limit. The decision formalizes trade-market exploration for a high-priced veteran and reshapes the team's roster strategy during the current offseason window.
Tremaine Edmunds contract and 2025 production
Tremaine Edmunds is in the third year of a four-year, $72 million contract signed in 2023 and carries an average annual salary near $18 million, placing him among the top-paid off-ball linebackers. Coverage lists him at 27 and also notes he turns 28 in May. In 13 games in 2025 he recorded 112 tackles, three tackles for loss, four interceptions, nine pass deflections and one sack. A groin injury in November caused him to miss four games and was followed by a drop in production. He ranked sixth in league linebacker impact scoring with a mark of 89. 3, and his career totals include 14 interceptions and two Pro Bowl selections earlier in his career.
Cap impact and roster implications
Allowing the linebacker to pursue a move ties directly to the team's cap situation. Estimates in coverage show that releasing or trading him would free roughly $15 million in cap space if done before March 15 and about $14 million if done after that date. Other figures circulated in recent coverage put a cutting savings figure a little over $12 million for the current offseason, reflecting differing accounting scenarios. The club sits more than $4 million over the cap, so creating room is a stated necessity. The choice to let him explore trade options underlines a judgment that his salary level may not align with the team's roster and cap priorities.
Possible landing spots and next steps
Several teams have been linked as logical fits for a veteran linebacker of his profile. A reunion with his original team is considered plausible in some coverage, though a coaching departure there was noted as potentially reducing those odds. Other franchises with linebacker needs were mentioned as potential suitors; roster changes and draft asset moves elsewhere could affect interest. The veteran carries a noted cap hit around $17. 4 million for 2026 and would reach free agency next spring, factors that will shape trade conversations. Interest is likely, but the extent and terms of any deal are unclear at this time.
Looking ahead, the timeline for a move will heavily influence the Bears' cap flexibility: a trade or release before March 15 delivers the larger short-term relief figures cited above, while waiting into the spring alters the accounting. If Edmunds remains on the roster, his 2026 cap implications and impending free-agency status will remain central to the team's offseason planning and any decisions about reinforcements at safety and pass rusher.
