Free agency preview: Does a Bills reunion with Tremaine Edmunds make sense?
Tremaine Edmunds never wanted to leave the Buffalo Bills and, nearly three years since his departure, the talented linebacker may have an opportunity to finally return to the place where his NFL journey began.
This is the eighth installment in a series previewing NFL free agency.
Tremaine Edmunds never wanted to leave the Buffalo Bills. Nearly three years after his departure, the talented linebacker may finally have an opportunity to return to the place where his NFL journey began.
The Chicago Bears are expected to release Edmunds, according to reports, in a move that creates $15 million of cap space. Edmunds had 112 tackles and nine passes defended in 13 starts. He was entering the final year of the four-year, $72 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2023.
Tremaine Edmunds, right, chatting with Josh Allen, played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills before he signed with the Chicago Bears in 2023 as a free agent.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Edmunds was given permission to seek a trade, but teams must have known he'd eventually get cut. The timing could align perfectly for a reunion, as the Bills need help at inside linebacker and Edmunds is arguably a better fit for the 3-4 scheme they'll run under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard than the one he played in during his four seasons for Sean McDermott.
Edmunds, a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Bills, turns 28 years old in May, and he's still a productive player. The only injury issue from 2025 was a nagging groin that forced him to miss four games. The price will need to be right for Buffalo to be interested because it's a deep free-agent class at the position. And the draft has some intriguing options at inside linebacker, though the Bills traded their second-round pick to Chicago as part of the DJ Moore deal.
It's also unclear what kind of skill set the Bills are seeking at inside linebacker, where they have two pending free agents and a defensive captain who's coming off an injury-plagued season. Leonhard's priority is to stop the run, but the player will also need the athleticism to make plays in the passing game and create chaos when used as a blitzer.
As the Bills prepare to negotiate with free agents, here's a glimpse at their internal options and candidates on the free-agent market:
In-house: Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen and Keonta Jenkins are under contract for 2026. Shaq Thompson and Matt Milano are pending free agents.