New NFL Trade Rumors on Bears' Tremaine Edmunds, Top Landing Spots for Star LB

The Chicago Bears are allowing veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to explore his trade market, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs.

Edmunds eclipsed the century mark in tackles for the eighth straight year (112), and he matched his career high in interceptions with four.

His $18 million average salary ranks third among all linebackers, though, which helps to explain why the Bears are prepared to let him go. He carries a $17.4 million cap hit in 2026 before hitting free agency next spring.

A reunion with the Buffalo Bills makes sense when Edmunds spent his first five years in the NFL there. The departure of head coach Sean McDermott could lower the odds of Buffalo making a move.

The Indianapolis Colts need help at linebacker and traded away their 2026 first-round pick.

With longtime contributor Lavonte David entering free agency, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a large void in their linebacking corps as well.

Edmunds remains an effective defender, but he's getting further and further away from his back-to-back Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020.

In addition, the Bears have $15 million reasons to be receptive to a trade. That's how much they'd save in the deal. The number would drop to $14 million if he's cut at any point after March 15.

It's hard to see him back in the Windy City.

That might be something interested suitors are counting on.

The Bills are $5.9 million over the salary cap. The Bucs ($13.5 million) and Colts ($34.9 million) are both on track to be comfortably in the black but might struggle to justify taking on Edmunds' expiring deal.

Should the 27-year-old become a free agent, the situation looks much different. He'd likely have to take a pay cut, and his price would become more amenable to playoff contenders with limited cap flexibility.