The Chicago Bears granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade on Wednesday, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Edmunds was Chicago's leading tackler in 2025, logging 61 solo tackles and 51 assists during the regular season. The 27-year-old linebacker is a two-time Pro Bowler with plenty of juice left in the tank.
However, Edmunds is in the final year of his current contract and carries a $15 million cap hit in 2026. It seems that a potential Edmunds trade would be motivated by saving cap space.
The Bears are currently $4.12 million over the 2026 salary cap. That is certainly better than a lot of NFL teams at this point in the offseason, so there's no need for Bears fans to panic. However, the fact that Chicago is in the red does explain why they're exhibiting a sense of urgency surrounding Edmunds.
Ultimately, it makes no difference from a financial perspective if Edmunds is cut or traded. But Chicago should expect some kind of return for a player of his caliber.
Now the question becomes: who would be viable trade partners with the Bears?
Below we will explore three of the best trade destinations for Edmunds heading into the 2026 NFL offseason.
The Titans could be a natural landing spot for Edmunds
Tennessee should be in the market for almost every defensive player this offseason.
The Titans brought in Robert Saleh at head coach. That means a few important things for Tennessee this offseason, one of which is that defense could be the team's identity moving forward.
Saleh's addition also suggests that the Titans will transition from a 3-4 defensive front to a 4-3 front. After all, Saleh is expected to bring his defensive scheme to Tennessee and will take over as defensive play-caller.
Edmunds has plenty of experience playing off-ball linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. That could make him an ideal trade target for the Titans.
It helps that Tennessee has the most cap space in the NFL with $103.50 million ready to spend. The Titans have to spend that money somehow and they could do much worse than a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker like Edmunds.
I could see the Titans being willing to spend a Day Three draft pick on Edmunds in a trade.
The Commanders need all the help they can get on defense
Washington may be the only NFL team that has as many defensive needs as Tennessee.
The best players on their defense are arguably Bobby Wagner (a 36-year-old unrestricted free agent) and Daron Payne (in the final year of his contract). Beyond those two veterans, and a handful of other serviceable players, the Commanders have few young defenders to build around.
Edmunds is not the youngest player around, but at 27 years old it is fair to argue that he could be a long-term piece in Washington.
I could see Edmunds taking over for 30-year-old Frankie Luvu at weak-side linebacker. The pair could also coexist in the starting lineup during the 2026 season.
Washington has $73.65 million in cap space headed into free agency. That gives them plenty of budget to swing a deal for a guaranteed starter like Edmunds.
I do question whether Washington should give up draft picks rather than spend them on rookies. But when you know you're getting a starter in return, that definitely has value.
Perhaps the Commanders could send a different veteran player back to the Bears to lower the cost of acquiring Edmunds.
Can the Colts afford to acquire Tremaine Edmunds?
Indianapolis desperately needs to upgrade its linebacker room. That could put Edmunds on their radar now that he is available via trade.
The Colts' best linebacker is Zaire Franklin with a crop of backups around him. They need to add reinforcements, but it is not guaranteed that Indy can afford Edmunds.
The Colts currently have $35.72 million in cap space at this point in the offseason. However, it may not stay that way for long.
Indy has made it clear that they want to retain QB Daniel Jones on a long-term contract. The Colts would also prefer to keep receiver Alec Pierce. Whichever player does not get a long-term contract will likely receive a franchise tag.
That means Indy is already planning to add two big-ticket contracts to their salary. So can they actually afford to acquire Edmunds?
I think the best way to make an Edmunds trade work financially for the Colts is to give him an extension after acquiring him.
Indy has $179.28 million in cap space in 2027 and even more in the future. Extending Edmunds could lower his $15 million by shifting money into future seasons.
Edmunds is just 27 years old, so a contract extension makes sense for a player of his age.
Perhaps the bigger question is: would the Colts be willing to give up draft capital to acquire Edmunds?
