Windy City Gridiron
With the bulk of the 2025 NFL offseason in the rearview mirror and training camp still a month away from kicking off, we’ll take a look ahead into the future to see who could be on the chopping block next offseason.
We’ve officially reached the dead point in the offseason where there is little to do except count your offseason winnings and build expectations for the 2025 season. Outside of maybe the New England Patriots, no team has been busier this offseason than the Chicago Bears. They hired a brand new coaching staff, were highly active in free agency, and had four selections in the Top 62 in late April’s draft.
To say that 2024 was an underwhelming year would be an understatement. General manager Ryan Poles managed to retain his job and was allowed to hire a second head coach, despite winning just 15 games in three seasons. Following the hiring of a top candidate like Ben Johnson, the pressure to win has increased even more. Coming off the heels of a busy (and expensive) offseason, the team’s cap flexibility in 2026 will tighten up substantially. That means that cuts will become necessary, and tough decisions must be made. While we wait for training camp to get here, let’s look deeper into five players that could be on the chopping block for next year, barring a standout season.
Despite going into his eighth year in the league, Edmunds is still just 27 years old. That’s hard to believe, considering he was drafted in the same class as Roquan Smith. Following five seasons in Buffalo, Edmunds cashed in big when he signed a four-year, $72 million deal in Chicago.
Former head coach Matt Eberflus had envisioned Edmunds as the key piece to the middle of his defense, but things have not worked out as planned. Although it would be unfair to label him a “bad” player, he also hasn’t come close to living up to his $18 million per year price tag. With Eberflus being fired and Dennis Allen hired as the new defensive coordinator, his status beyond 2025 is tricky. The Bears prioritized a two-year extension with T.J. Edwards earlier in the offseason. This leaves the 27-year-old going into the final year of his deal next season with less than $2.5 million in dead money. Barring a surprise, it appears Edmunds will be playing his final season in Chicago.
Reasons For Keeping:
Having the middle of your defense bought and paid for is rarely a bad thing. Even if Edmunds doesn’t live up to his contract in 2025, keeping him and Edwards together for another season could establish continuity heading into Year 2 of Allen’s defense. Who knows, maybe he will become the new Demario Davis? Despite different skill sets, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Edmunds is an ideal fit in this defense and could experience a career year.
Reasons For Leaving:
Money, underperformance, and scheme fit. Money will always play...
