Bears Expected to Move On From High-Priced Starter After 2025

Aaron Leming of Windy City Gridiron noted in his salary cap lookahead: 'After five years in Buffalo, Edmunds landed a four-year, $72 million deal in Chicago. 'Eberflus viewed him as the centerpiece of his defense, but the fit never truly materialized. He hasn’t been bad—but he also hasn’t justified $18 million per year.'

The numbers back that up. In 2024, Edmunds notched 110 combined tackles but only one sack and one interception—solid but not spectacular. Pro Football Focus graded him 59.2 overall, ranking him 119th out of 189 qualifying linebackers. That performance doesn't align with the hefty paycheck.

Now, with Eberflus out and Dennis Allen officially named as the Bears’ new defensive coordinator, Edmunds' future is murkier than ever. Chicago has already signaled its priorities by extending T.J. Edwards—who’s become the more consistent piece in the middle. 

Edmunds is heading into a contract year in 2025, and the clock is ticking. With less than $2.5 million in dead money and a mountain of cap relief available, front office eyes are watching closely.

Leming adds that keeping Edmunds and Edwards together next season could offer continuity for Allen’s second year. There's even speculation that Edmunds could evolve into a better fit under Allen—possibly taking on a role similar to Saints linebacker Demario Davis. But while the hope remains, the math is hard to ignore. Edmunds is the third-highest-paid linebacker in the league, and with a performance that hasn’t matched that billing, the financial strain is mounting.

There’s a version of this story where Edmunds turns it all around—where a fresh defensive philosophy unlocks the player the Bears thought they were getting. Maybe Allen sees something others don’t. Maybe Edmunds, still only 27, finally settles into a role that lets him roam free and dominate. But there's also the version the cap sheet keeps hinting at: the one where Edmunds gets labeled a costly misfit and quietly exits stage left.

Unless Edmunds delivers a statement season, 2025 may mark the final chapter of his time in navy and orange.