Bear Digest

Bears linebacker duo listed among notable NFC cut candidates ahead of 2025 free agency

The Chicago Bears have plenty of salary cap space to make a big splash in 2025 NFL free agency, but they could gain even more if they make a surprising roster decision.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles enters the 2025 NFL free agency period in a strong position. With the sixth-most salary cap space in the league and a clear list of roster needs, he has the flexibility to make impactful moves in the open market.

However, that doesn’t mean Poles won’t have tough decisions to make, especially if he aims to free up more cap space for top-tier offensive linemen like Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Falcons center Drew Dalman. To make room for those big-ticket signings, he may have no choice but to part ways with some high-profile defenders he brought in just two years ago.

A recent NFL.com analysis of potential salary cap cuts ahead of NFL free agency lists both Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards as possible cap casualties for the Bears.

"Middle linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards could be cut considerations." NFL.com's Matt Okada wrote. "Edmunds carries a $17.4 million cap hit, though $13 million of that would remain dead money unless he was designated a post-June 1 cut -- and the $6.8 million in cap relief then wouldn't take effect until June, negating the benefit in free agency. Edwards is easier to move on from, with his potential release resulting in $5.5 million in savings."

Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) warms up before the game
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There’s an old saying: pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered.

If the Bears choose to cut Edmunds and/or Edwards to free up cap space for 2025 free agency, it would be a classic case of being a "hog" rather than a "pig." They don't need the extra salary-cap space those moves would create; they'd be costly on-field decisions.

Edwards isn’t just a key piece of the defense; he’s one of the team’s leaders. He's totaled 284 tackles with the Bears over the last two seasons and is a player Poles should be looking to sign to a contract extension rather than considering him a cap casualty.

Edmunds has underwhelmed since signing his four-year, $72 million deal in 2023, but there’s no need to stretch his dead money over two seasons. If Poles wants to move on, waiting until next offseason would be the smarter play, leaving the Bears with just $2.4 million in dead cap heading into 2026.

Cutting either linebacker would only add another hole to the Bears’ already extensive offseason to-do list. It would be a counterproductive move, making it highly unlikely to happen.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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