Bears make one last tough decision ahead of free agency but now have plenty of space to make some big splashes next week
The Chicago Bears are moving on from one of their starting linebackers.
It’s been a tough week at Halas Hall for the Chicago Bears after having to say goodbye to three young and promising starters ahead of the start of free agency next week.
After the sudden retirement of Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman and the blockbuster trade involving veteran wide receiver DJ Moore, the Bears have now parted ways with starting linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, Chicago allowed Edmunds to seek out a potential trade but no deal materialized that would net the Bears a decent return, thus the team has decided to release Edmunds and allow him to get a head start to the open market.
Bears release of Tremaine Edmunds gives them ample cap space to work with in free agency
Edmunds should have a strong market for himself given his age and starting experience. As for the Bears, his release clears another $15 million off the team’s 2026 salary cap. Between Edmunds, Moore, and Dalman, the Bears have now shed well over $30 million in cap space.
First order of business before next week will be determining which pending free agents to keep from hitting the market, with the obvious name being All-Pro safety Kevin Byard III. Byard is expected to land close to $10 million per year on his next contract and is a player Chicago would be wise to keep.
After that, the Bears will hit the market in search of a new starting center. Head coach Ben Johnson understands how critical that position is to the offense and after moving quick to land Dalman last offseason, the Bears won’t be waiting around to bargain hunt. Does that mean throwing a record-setting deal to Tyler Linderbaum? That’s a possibility, as is going after another top option such as Tyler Biadasz or Connor McGovern.
Don’t rule out Chicago spending big to add an impact pass rusher either, whether it’s an edge rusher or interior defensive lineman. While improbable now, Maxx Crosby is still the big-fish worth keeping tabs on but will likely cost the team’s future to acquire him. Other options in free agency include Trey Hendrickson, John Franklin-Myers, Khalil Mack, or Cameron Jordan.
Then comes the question of how the Bears replace Edmunds. Plenty of starting-caliber linebackers will be hitting the market that can give Dennis Allen an upgrade at the position, along with a solid crop of rookies available in the draft.
The Bears have a lot of holes to fill over the next few days, but Chicago is no longer hurting when it comes to available cap space to use at their disposal.
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