Bears release LB Tremaine Edmunds

The Bears, as expected, are releasing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, a source confirmed to the Sun-Times.

The team made the move Thursday night, eight days after the Bears gave Edmunds and his agent permission to seek a trade.

The Bears will save $15 million. He would have counted as a $17.4 million cap hit in the last year of his deal were the team to keep him on the roster. Instead, the Bears will pay a $2.4 million dead-cap charge.

Edmunds’ release comes during a busy week for the Bears. Center Drew Dalman told them this week he intends to retire. Earlier Thursday, the Bears agreed to trade receiver DJ Moore to the Bills, along with a fifth-round pick, for a second-rounder.

The Bears were over the cap entering the week but have since gained about $44 million in cap space, putting them under the threshold.

Edmunds spent three years with the Bears. He had four interceptions last year, the second-most among all NFL linebackers, despite missing four starts because of injury.