Should Giants Trade for Chicago Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds?

The New York Giants defense is expected to undergo a bit of a facelift, which is anticipated to include a refresh of the off-ball linebackers if the team decides not re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Micah McFadden and cut Bobby Okereke, who is in the final year of his contract.

Such a prospective situation has some wondering if the Giants should kick the tires on current Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who, according to the NFL Network, has been granted permission to explore a trade.

Edmunds, who spent the last three seasons with the Bears after initially entering the NFL in 2018 as a first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, who at the time had current Giants general manager Joe Schoen on the staff, is a two-time Pro Bowler, having made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2019 and 2020.

The 6-foot-4, 51-pound linebacker has started every regular-season game in which he’s played (119) and has 900 regular-season tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 59 pass breakups, and 14 interceptions in regular-season play.

He has been mostly durable throughout his career, though this past season, he suffered a groin injury that landed him on injured reserve from Week 14 onward.

What might it take to get Edmunds?

Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) reacts after sacking New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (not pictured) during the second half at Soldier Field. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Edmunds, who turns 28 in May, still has some gas left in the tank, but it’s hard to see the Giants, who are already without a third-round pick, trading away draft assets for the linebacker.

However, if the Giants could work out a player-for-player trade for the linebacker, that would make more sense.

The Bears’ biggest needs are edge rusher, interior defensive lineman, and left tackle. New York is not about to part with defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II or left tackle Andrew Thomas.

But could outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux be a candidate for a trade? That is certainly a consideration in a player-for-player swap, given how Thibodeaux, like Edmunds, is in the final year of his contract and will soon be looking to be paid.

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The potential fly in that ointment, though, is that Thibodeaux has missed parts of three of his four seasons in the league so far, and hasn’t come close to matching the production he had in his second season.

Let’s focus on Edmund’s contract, though. As noted, he’s in the final year of his deal, which would cost an acquiring team $13.9 million for his base salary plus a $100,000 workout bonus.

But in this case, the Giants, were they to acquire Edmunds in a player-for-player swap, could just as soon offer a revised contract that would lower the linebacker's base salary for his first season as a Giant, and keep him on the team for a few years, very similar to what the Giants did when they acquired outside linebacker Brian Burns via trade from the Panthers two years ago.

If, however, the Bears insist on draft assets, then under no circumstances should the Giants consider this trade. In that case, given the depth of talent at linebacker in this year’s draft class, the Giants may as well sit tight, as they are bound to get a player at the position.