Chicago Bears give Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek trade: What it means

INDIANAPOLIS - The Chicago Bears will reportedly be shopping one of their best defensive players before free agency begins.

The Bears have given linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade, his representation at Athlete's First told FOX 32. The Bears are trying to find ways to move money around to get back under the cap.

This signals the biggest change for the Bears' defense, which is expected to undergo plenty of changes due to cap constraints.

What we know:

Edmunds, who led the Bears in tackles last season even while missing time with injuries, will not be a Chicago Bear in the 2026 season.

There was already talk about the Bears moving on from Edmunds because the linebacker carries a $17 million cap number. Cutting him would clear $15 million of cap space. That would put the Bears immediately under the cap.

"We have a lot of talented players, a lot of guys getting paid well, and that puts some constraints on the cap," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said on Tuesday. "We gotta make some tough decisions and, like I said, when we win games you create these relationships. There's leadership guys or guys that are captains that mean a lot to our organization."

This news means the Bears might have two new opening day starting linebackers. Linebacker TJ Edwards signed an extension last offseason, but there's no real timetable for his broken fibula.

In this case, the Bears might turn to Noah Sewell and Ruben Hyppolite II as starters unless they make other moves to supplement the position in the offseason.

Big picture view:

The Bears might release Edmunds if they can't come to an agreement on a trade. Ideally, the Bears would like to get something in return for the linebacker. Odds are they will attract some offers.

Edmunds is still 28, even after playing in the league for eight years. He's started all 45 games he's played for the Bears, recording 335 total tackles and nine interceptions. He played five years in Buffalo before signing with the Bears, and recorded just five interceptions.

While Edmunds was playing at a Pro Bowl level to start the 2025 season, he suffered an injury that limited him to just 10 games. 

He did finish the season healthy and doesn't have a long history of injuries. He should attract an offer from a team that needs an experienced linebacker in the middle who can force turnovers and is a consistent tackler.

The Bears could attract a day-3 selection for Edmunds, factoring how productive he is against how much his contract will cost against the cap.

Poles was also asked about players like running back D'Andre Swift and tight end Cole Kmet, both who would open up cap room for the Bears if the front office moved on from them. 

Poles signlaed that while some players might be on the market, Swift and Kmet are most likely staying in Chicago.  

"There's a lot more calls coming in with interest on some of these guys," Poles said. "We have to kind of sequence that out to see how it impacts our team."

What's next:

The Bears will now have to make a deal.

Poles said the combine is usually where these deals come together, especially when considering how all the NFL decision makers are in one place. 

This might not be the only deal the Bears make, as they've been open about the interest quarterback Tyson Bagent has garnered with a very thin quarterback class in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"I talked about a little bit of cost of replacement, so what does that look like?" Poles said. "Really, this week is: we know what we need to do. But, any new unique opportunities that might pop up are usually going to pop up here and then we'll get back and kind of sort it all out and make decisions."