Cap Crunch in Chicago: Could Tremaine Edmunds Be the Odd Man Out?
With just under a month to go before free agency opens, the Chicago Bears find themselves in a financial squeeze - and GM Ryan Poles is staring down some difficult decisions. The team is projected to be about $5 million over the salary cap, and with a handful of key defensive contributors set to hit the open market, something’s got to give.
Among the players with expiring contracts are safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, as well as cornerbacks C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Nahshon Wright.
That’s a significant chunk of the secondary potentially walking out the door. Retaining even a few of them will require some creative cap maneuvering - or some tough roster cuts.
And that’s where linebacker Tremaine Edmunds enters the conversation.
Edmunds: Still Productive, But Worth the Price?
Let’s be clear - when Edmunds was on the field in 2025, he played well. Despite missing four games due to injury, he still racked up 112 tackles, nine pass breakups, four interceptions, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, and a fumble recovery.
That’s a full stat sheet in just 13 games. His range, instincts, and coverage ability were all on display, and he was a key piece in the Bears' defensive resurgence.
But availability matters, and so does value. The Bears got solid play from their linebacker depth when Edmunds was sidelined, particularly from D’Marco Jackson, who stepped up in a big way. Jackson’s breakout moment came in Week 15 against the Browns, when he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week - a performance that turned heads both inside and outside Halas Hall.
The Financial Picture: $15 Million in Potential Savings
Here’s where the cap math starts to make sense. If the Bears release Edmunds, they free up $15 million in cap space while only taking on $2.4 million in dead money, per Spotrac.
That’s a significant swing, especially for a team currently in the red. And with Jackson potentially re-signable for around $5 million annually, the Bears could essentially swap Edmunds for a younger, cheaper option who’s already proven he can play at a high level in this system.
That’s not a knock on Edmunds. He’s been a steady presence in Chicago since arriving from Buffalo, and his leadership and versatility have been valuable. But he hasn’t quite lived up to the Pro Bowl level he reached with the Bills, and in a cap-tight scenario, that $15 million price tag becomes harder to justify.
The Bigger Picture for Poles and the Bears
For Poles, this offseason is about threading the needle - keeping enough core defensive talent to stay competitive while managing a salary cap that doesn’t leave much wiggle room. Letting Edmunds go would be a bold move, but it might be the most logical one if it allows the Bears to retain key pieces in the secondary or invest in other areas of need.
D’Marco Jackson has already shown he can handle the spotlight. Giving him a bigger role in 2026 wouldn’t be a leap of faith - it would be a calculated step forward.
The Bears’ defense took major strides last season. Now, it’s about keeping that momentum going without letting the budget derail the progress. And that might mean saying goodbye to a big-name veteran in favor of a rising star.