While it came as no surprise, the Chicago Bears released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds early in the offseason after three seasons.
It was a move the franchise felt it needed to make since it saved them $15 million against the cap. That was crucial in helping the Bears afford to sign key free agents like safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush.
There might be small breadcrumb evidence suggesting the Bears were too eager to let him walk. ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler spoke with league executives, coaches, and scouts regarding who the NFL's top linebackers are, with Edmunds finishing outside the top 10 but receiving votes.
Did the Bears jump the gun on letting Tremaine Edmunds go in the offseason?
Edmunds was an efficient starting linebacker for the Bears, producing over 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons. It was a bit of a concern for the team that he never made the Pro Bowl in Chicago despite having done so twice with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Bears.
Last season, Edmunds missed four games with the Bears due to a groin injury that put him on the IR. He still managed to rack up 112 tackles, nine pass deflections, four interceptions, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, one sack, and one fumble recovery in 13 games.
There are positives and negatives to Edmunds's game, as he was a guy who got a lot of tackles and proved himself to be a playmaker in coverage. He was just inconsistent with creating negative plays in the running game and wasn't always blanketing offensive weapons in coverage.
Bush will be Edmunds' replacement on the Bears for the next three years. Joining Bush are T.J. Edwards and D'Marco Jackson as the main three linebackers in the rotation.
Looking at the linebacker room in Chicago now without Edmunds, the reality is that Edmunds is better than most of those guys. The issue is that he was just too expensive to keep on the roster for someone who is good, not great. If he would have been willing to take a pay cut, that might have kept him in the Windy City.
The Bears are putting a lot of trust in Bush to adjust quickly to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme, while also trusting Jackson to continue to grow within the defense. At least with Edmunds, Chicago had someone who could do it all.
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Edmunds is now with the New York Giants, as it appears that NFL personnel members like the way he plays. 2026 still has to play out, but maybe the Bears should have waited one more year for a change in the linebacker room.
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