Tremaine Edmunds Reportedly Released by Bears, Top Landing Spots For 2-Time Pro Bowl LB

The Chicago Bears released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Chicago previously gave the two-time Pro Bowler permission to seek a trade, but it seems as though a deal never ended up materializing.

The Bears gained $15 million in cap space after releasing Edmunds, bringing their total to $44 million in new cap space following their trade of wide receiver DJ Moore as well as the retirement of center Drew Dalman.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler previously reported that the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants liked Edmunds on the trade market. Now, they could choose to pursue him as a free agent.

All three teams lost at least 13 games last season and could use an experienced defensive option such as Edmunds, who has 119 starts under his belt.

The 27-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Buffalo Bills, earning consecutive Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020. He eventually signed a four-year, $72 million contract with Chicago as a free agent in 2023.

Edmunds has been a consistent tackler throughout his NFL tenure, as he's amassed at least 100 tackles in all eight of his seasons in the league.

In 2025, he recorded 112 tackles, nine passes defended, four interceptions and three tackles for loss across 13 appearances.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles was noncommittal when discussing Edmunds' future on the team at the NFL Scouting Combine, though.

"This is a unique situation where we've gotten our roster in a position where we have a lot of talented players, a lot of guys getting paid well, and that puts some constraints on the cap," Poles said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "So we got to make some tough decisions. And, you know, like I said, when we win games, you create these relationships. There's leadership guys or guys that were captains that mean a lot to our organization. But when you're kind of put in a corner, that's what league's been and has been."

As Chicago continues to prepare for free agency with additional financial flexibility, Edmunds will now search for a new landing spot.