The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick on Friday and continued making big moves as the free agency tampering period opened on Monday.
The Bears and former Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds agreed on a four-year, $72 million contract, including $50 million guaranteed, ESPN reported. Edmunds’ deal is the NFL’s largest four-year contract for an inside linebacker.
Edmunds is expected to lead the Bears’ defense after spending five seasons in the middle of the Bills’ productive unit. The former first-round pick had more than 100 tackles in all five seasons and started all 74 games he played. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020.
This past season, Edmunds finished with 102 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception, seven passes defended and 8.5 run stuffs.
The Bears’ defense finished 29th in yards allowed per game last season, something they hope Edmunds’ production can improve. Edmunds, who ranked 15th on The 33rd Team’s Top 150 Free Agents, won’t be the only new linebacker trying to improve the Bears’ defense this season. Chicago also agreed to a three-year, $19.5 million deal with former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards Monday.
Both players should help the Bears’ defense climb out of the league’s bottom half. Edmunds’ Bills finished sixth in total yards allowed per game, and Edwards’ Eagles finished second.
Although Chicago is spending a lot of money on defense, it hasn’t neglected the offense. The Bears acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Carolina Panthers in addition to the No. 9 and No. 61 overall in this year’s draft, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick for the first-overall pick.
The Bears also signed former Tennessee Titans guard Nate Davis to a three-year, $30 million deal Monday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
