With the offseason officially underway, the Chicago Bears have many decisions to make for the financial future of their team. According to Spotrac, the Bears are more than $10.6 million over the salary cap and will need to make several cuts to become compliant this offseason.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has been floated as a cut candidate. If the Bears want to go down that path, they must have a replacement in mind, and there's a perfect option slated to hit free agency. Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss is going to be on the open market next month, providing Chicago with the ideal option at LB.
Kaden Elliss Would Give Bears Ideal Tremaine Edmunds Replacement
Elliss has spent the past three years with the Falcons, starting in every game for them. Not only has he been available, but he's a productive player. Between 2023 and 2025 with the Falcons, Elliss compiled 380 total tackles, 32 quarterback hits, 29 TFLs, 12 pass deflections, and 12.5 sacks.
In each of the last three campaigns, he has secured 100-plus tackles while being solid in coverage. Meanwhile, pass coverage has been an area where Edmunds has struggled during his time with the Bears.
Season | Kaden Ellis' Yards Allowed in Coverage | Tremaine Edmunds' Yards Allowed in Coverage |
|---|---|---|
2023 | 304 | 611 |
2024 | 493 | 540 |
2025 | 372 | 530 |
As the numbers point out, Elliss has been better as a pass defender, while this area appears to be a weakness for Edmunds. With how athletic tight ends have become, mismatches against linebackers have been an advantage for opposing offenses.
Edmunds leaves room to be desired there, making the idea of signing Elliss that much more intriguing. If the Bears decided to cut Edmunds, they would create $15 million in cap space before March 15, per Spotrac. That could go a long way to signing Elliss as the replacement while giving them extra money to make upgrades elsewhere.
Spotrac projects Elliss to land a three-year, $26.9 million deal in free agency, paying him $9 million per season. That projected move would save Chicago money while giving them a proven veteran as Edmunds' replacement.
Going into this pivotal offseason, the focus in the Windy City will be on improving this defense. Despite leading the NFL in takeaways (33) this past season, the Bears' pass defense was 22nd in the league (227.2). There's room for growth here, and getting better coverage in the middle of the field can help improve those numbers.
Only time will tell what the Bears decide to do with Edmunds, but if they choose to pull the plug, Elliss would be a great pivot for them to make. He has shown he's more than capable of making plays that would raise the floor in ways that Edmunds wasn't able to.