As the Chicago Bears move fully into the offseason, they face many important decisions to take the next step toward a deeper playoff run next season. Trading one or both of tight end Cole Kmet or wide receiver DJ Moore is on the table, with notable cap space to be gained in each case.
Overall, the Bears have multiple paths to creating a big chunk of cap space, including trading Kmet and/or Moore. Outright cutting players with trade value would not be smart so that those avenues could be explored with other players beyond Moore and Kmet.
In a conversation with Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris on 104.3 The Score about a potential odd man out in the Bears' circumstance, Herb Howard of The Bigs Media pointed to someone who generally stands out in that regard.
"The first person that jumps out to me would be Tremaine Edmunds, right?" Howard said. "Just look at his contract, and the lack of guaranteed money left on it, could they replace him?"
Howard went on to note how good a season Edmunds had in 2025, leading the Bears in tackles with 112 while making a bigger overall impact with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. The Bears can also clear $15 million of his $17.4 million cap hit off their books by cutting him or trading him, and they might also have an in-house replacement they can cultivate.
However, a formidable replacement plan would be a prerequisite if the Bears do part ways with Edmunds.
Bears have been offered an ideal free agent pivot if they part with Tremaine Edmunds
Greg Auman of Fox Sports has further fleshed out his initial list of the top-100 2026 NFL free agents with a prediction for which team each will sign with.
Auman has predicted the No. 60 free agent on his list, linebacker Demario Davis, to sign with the Bears.
"Davis, still going at 37, managed to set a career high with 143 tackles for the Saints in 2025. He's at an age where linebackers rarely exist, let alone play as actively as he does, and he's hinted he'll not only play again but test the free-agent waters. Davis deserves to finish with a contender — 227 career regular-season games, but only five in the playoffs, and two wins at that. He's had six straight seasons with at least 1,000 defensive snaps, a model of durability at a demanding position."
Davis turned 37 in January, but as Auman noted, he showed no signs of slowing down last season. He has played over 1,000 defensive snaps in six straight seasons, and he has earned an overall Pro Football Focus grade in the top-10 among off-ball linebackers in six of the last seven seasons (No. 6 this past season).
Then there's the obvious tie Davis has to the Bears. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator when Davis arrived in 2018; he became head coach in 2022 before being fired midway through the 2024 season.
Over the five seasons from 2019-2023, under Allen's tutelage, Davis earned a First-Team All-Pro selection, four Second-Team All-Pro selections, and two Pro Bowl nods. He surpassed 100 total tackles with double-digit tackles for loss in all five of those campaigns, along with tallying at least four sacks four times in that span.
Davis is likely to want to sign with a contender in free agency, and he should have multiple suitors along that line. It takes two to tango in free agent courtship, though, and if there's an opening in Allen's Bears' linebacking corps, he may want it over any other opportunities.
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The Bears' decision to part with Edmunds (or not) will greatly depend on who they can replace him with. Allen's familiarity with Davis makes that an easy match, and Allen could already be doing some behind-the-scenes work (not tampering, of course) to see where his former pupil stands on his free agency decision.