Here’s How Much Tremaine Edmunds Will Likely Fetch In A Trade For The Bears
When the Chicago Bears gave linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade this past week, people didn’t read much into it. Due to salary-cap issues, most assumed the Bears would cut him outright. The trade thing was just to see if there was a market for the veteran linebacker. To the shock of many, it appears there is. Rumblings began earlier in the week that interest in the league was hotter than expected. Word was the Bears could get a decent return for him if things progressed quickly.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN took things to the next level when he revealed not one but three teams with legitimate interest in Edmunds.
“One player who has strong trade value and a decent chance to be dealt is Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Titans, Raiders and Giants are among teams interested in high-end linebackers, and they like Edmunds, who’s only 27 despite eight years in the league. He was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this week.”
Anybody who understands basic football economics will know that having three teams interested means you have the makings of a bidding war. Chicago can play them against each other, doing everything possible to drive up the price until they get the best return. What fans want to know is what they could get. This quickly went from maybe a late-round picks swap to something serious.
Tremaine Edmunds could fetch a solid pick for the Bears.
In these situations, the best thing to do is look back at recent history to find possible examples that mirror what the Bears are looking at. Plenty of linebackers have been dealt over the past couple of decades. The range of returns for them has been wide. Here are some examples of starters who were between the ages of 26 and 29 (Edmunds will be 28 in May) and what they fetched.
| Year | Player | Age | From | To | Trade Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Logan Wilson | 29 | Bengals | Cowboys | Traded for a 2026 7th-round pick. |
| 2022 | Deion Jones | 27 | Falcons | Browns | Traded with a 7th-round pick for a 2022 6th-round pick |
| 2022 | Avery Williamson | 28 | Jets | Steelers | Traded with a 7th-round pick for a 2022 5th-round pick |
| 2020 | Kwon Alexander | 26 | 49ers | Saints | Traded for a 2020 5th-round pick and LB Kiko Alonso |
| 2019 | Kiko Alonso | 29 | Dolphins | Saints | Traded for LB Vince Biegel. |
| 2017 | Jamie Collins | 27 | Patriots | Browns | Traded for a 2017 3rd-round comp pick. |
| 2013 | Jon Beason | 28 | Panthers | Giants | Traded for a 2014 7th-round pick. |
| 2010 | Kirk Morrison | 28 | Raiders | Jaguars | Traded with a 5th-round pick for a 4th-round pick. |
| 2008 | Jonathan Vilma | 26 | Jets | Saints | Traded for a 2008 4th-round pick and a 2009 conditional pick. |
Given Edmunds’ productivity over the past few years and relative durability in that time, it would be fair to say he stands closer to Vilma, Collins, and Alexander in terms of quality. That means the Bears could receive up to a late 3rd or early 4th-round pick. Or something of equal value. Considering he’s in the last year of his contract, that would be a big win for the organization, giving them much-needed flexibility in an important draft.
Getting anything for Edmunds is a big win for the Bears.
Let’s not forget the team signed him as a free agent in 2023. To get three years of solid linebacker play and then flipping him elsewhere for a solid draft pick is football business at its best. Granted, part of the reason Tremaine Edmunds is being traded at all is because of cap issues. Yet that is the nature of things. Sometimes you must make difficult sacrifices. We saw that happen to Kansas City last year when they traded Joe Thuney to Chicago. The loss of Edmunds may hurt in the short term, but they should be able to navigate it.
The timing is certainly good. Draft experts believe this is one of the best linebacker classes to come out of college in the past few years. If the Bears were hoping to add a high-end talent to their roster, this is the year to do it. Don’t be surprised if they double-dip at the position. Edmunds isn’t the only one on his way out. The same is likely true for Noah Sewell as well. Don’t forget T.J. Edwards is dealing with an injury. They need bodies. Extra picks will help.