The Chicago Bears have agreed to release Pro Bowl linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter. This move follows the team's earlier trade of wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, marking the second notable departure.
Edmunds, who was granted permission to seek a trade in February, was entering the final year of a four-year, $72 million contract signed in 2023. His release reduces a scheduled $17.4 million cap hit for 2026, saving the Bears $15 million. Combined with the Moore trade, Chicago gains $31.5 million in cap space from Thursday's roster moves.
The 27-year-old linebacker spent the last three seasons with Chicago after beginning his career in Buffalo. Despite missing four games with a groin injury, he led the Bears with 112 tackles in the past season and matched a career high with four interceptions. A first-round pick in 2018, Edmunds earned Pro Bowl honors in his second and third NFL seasons, recording over 100 tackles in each of his eight professional years.