The Chicago Bears have seen several players head elsewhere in free agency, but one player that they wanted to turn the page on was linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. In February, Chicago allowed him to seek a trade, but nothing materialized. Instead, they released him, and he joined the New York Giants.
He got a three-year, $36 million deal from New York, but the latest report shows that he wasn't their first choice. ESPN's Giants reporter Jordan Raanan revealed on his Breaking Blue podcast that the Giants tried to trade for a linebacker at the beginning of free agency.
"The Giants definitely did try to trade for a linebacker, I heard. And the story I heard was that said linebacker didn’t really want to go, and the trade kind of broke apart. It’s a guy that’s getting towards the end of his career, and it just didn’t work out," Raanan said.
Raanan said it wasn't 49ers' Fred Warner, despite the speculation, but this reiterates that Edmunds wasn't New York's top choice.
Former Bear Tremaine Edmunds Was Giants' Fallback Choice
While no name was given, there's speculation that it could have been Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith, another former Bear. Smith has spent the last four seasons with the Ravens, where he crossed paths with John Harbaugh. And Harbaugh has a history of having a staple at middle linebacker, as pointed out by Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Ray Lewis, CJ Mosley, Patrick Queen, and Smith suited up for him in Baltimore.
In addition, SNY's Connor Hughes reported that the Giants "love" Ohio State LB Sonny Styles following the combine. New York has made it an emphasis to get better at linebacker, but these reports show that Edmunds was likely lower on the totem pole.
New York clearly liked what Edmunds brought to the table, which is why it gave him that contract. But after these reports, coupled with his up-and-down season in 2025, Edmunds has his work cut out for him.
If the Giants wanted, they could have traded for Edmunds when Chicago made him available. Instead, it looks like they had their eyes set elsewhere. If the deal didn't fall through, Edmunds likely wouldn't be in New York.
It appears they settled on Edmunds and believed he was their best option on the market compared to the other LBs. Of course, he's excited for the new opportunity, but it can't be the best feeling that your new club looked elsewhere before landing on you.
Despite getting $23.7 million guaranteed, Edmunds needs to bring his best foot forward with his new team. They wanted another LB over him, and that should be a chip on his shoulder going into 2026 to prove he was the right choice. If not, there's no telling how the Giants will react.