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The Chicago Bears are exploring parting ways with one of their defensive starters, as the franchise granted permission to linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to seek a trade, per the Chicago Tribune. 

Edmunds, who turns 28 in May, enters the final year of the four-year, $72 million contract he signed with Chicago in 2023. He’s due $15 million in cash with a $17.4 million cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac. Whether the Bears trade or cut Edmunds, they stand to save around $15 million by parting ways with him. 

Despite missing four games due to a groin injury, Edmunds led the Bears in 2025 with 112 tackles to go along with nine passes defensed, four interceptions and one sack. Edmunds has crossed 100 tackles in all eight of his NFL seasons since being selected by the Buffalo Bills with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2019 and 2020.

The Bears went 11-6 in the first year of the Ben Johnson era, clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2018, and won their first playoff game since the 2010 campaign with Lovie Smith. Dennis Allen’s defense recorded 33 takeaways, which led the NFL, while the Bears set an NFL record by registering seven wins when trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, including playoffs. 

Edmunds may not be the only notable player Chicago eventually trades or releases this offseason, as general manager Ryan Poles admitted that he has to “look at all the different scenarios” when asked about wide receiver DJ Moore at the NFL Scouting Combine. Moore carries a $28.5 million cap hit in 2026, which is the highest on Chicago’s salary cap table.