Now that the offseason is officially in swing for the Chicago Bears, much of fans' thinking is about what's next. Well, the next main event of the offseason (or, first, rather) is NFL free agency, which begins March 11.
The Bears have several of their own impending free agents, but there are also a few different decisions they could make with players whose contracts aren't yet up.
A priority, this offseason, is going to be significantly improving the defense. To do that, they not only need to use their draft capital wisely, but also create additional cap space. At the moment, it doesn't make much sense to look at teams' projected cap space because so much will happen in the coming weeks.
That may include cutting ties with players to open up some freedom, and the Bears have three notable names they could do that with: Running back D'Andre Swift, tight end Cole Kmet and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Player | Cap savings if cut |
|---|---|
D'Andre Swift, RB | $7.5 million |
Cole Kmet, TE | $8.4 million |
Tremaine Edmunds, LB | $15 million |
Deciding whether the Bears should move on from D'Andre Swift, Cole Kmet or Tremaine Edmunds
Let's break these down and make a call.
D'Andre Swift
Last offseason, many of us thought Swift would be an eventual goner. Boy, did he prove us wrong. Swift looked better than ever this past season and, to be frank, the Bears would be doing themselves a disservice by cutting ties. Swift averaged the highest yards per carry of his career (min. 100 carries) and also ended with career highs in rushing yards (1,087) and rushing touchdowns (9).
Between he and Kyle Monangai, the Bears have a strong one-two punch in the back field. This team has bigger needs than the running back position, as much as I want to see Jeremiyah Love in a Bears uniform. The back field looks set, and Swift should remain an integral part of the offense.
Verdict: Keep
Cole Kmet
You could argue Kmet should stick around solely based on that magical touchdown catch against the Rams in the playoffs, but his value goes beyond that play. Having both he and Colston Loveland as receiving threats at the position is huge for this offense.
If anything were to happen to Loveland, Kmet is an immediate safety blanket. Just look, again, at the Rams game. Loveland went out with a concussion and Kmet made the play of the game. Maybe, a restructure is in play here.
But, either way, Kmet needs to stick around and the Bears will be set for 12 personnel going forward.
Barring an unforeseen value in the draft, it doesn't make much sense to let him go at this point. The offense is set and Kmet is still a valuable asset.
Verdict: Keep
Tremaine Edmunds
I think this is where the Bears can make a move. As much as Edmunds' energy sparked the team, and as much as we all love the "It's Chicago!" mantra, Edmunds simply wasn't worth the money in 2025 (nor in 2024, for that matter).
Saving $15 million while going out and finding fresh blood at the linebacker position, via the 2026 NFL Draft, should be the play, here.
Read more: Ryan Poles may have cracked the door open on a DJ Moore trade
Edmunds was often a tick behind in coverage and was not nearly as good as his Buffalo version in this area. His inability to keep the middle of the field locked down was on full display, time and time again, and the Bears can afford to let him
Verdict: Cut