Amen Ogbongbemiga linebacker Chicago Bears
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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Amen Ogbongbemiga of Chicago Bears reacts during the NFL match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have just over $10 million to make up in cap space before the start of the league year in mid-March.
Multiple players across the roster, from top to bottom, could see themselves be released over the coming weeks as the Bears look to shape their roster for the coming season.
And the cuts have now officially started in Chicago, as linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga has been released from the team on Thursday.
Ari Meirov
The #Bears are releasing veteran LB Amen Ogbongbemiga.
The move saves $2M in salary cap space.
Bears Release Linebacker and Core Special Teamer
“TheBears are releasing veteran LB Amen Ogbongbemiga.” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team writes. “The move saves $2M in salary cap space.”
Ogbongbemiga was due $2.445 million in salary in 2026, and this move instead leaves the team with $375,000 in dead cap, saving $2.07 million against the cap this year.
The Oklahoma State grad first entered the league as an undrafted free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he spent the first three years of his career before signing with the Bears as a free agent in 2024.
Ogbongbemiga was signed as, and has predominantly featured as, a special teams player over the course of his time in Chicago, playing in all 17 games in 2024 before injuries curtailed much of his 2025 season. Although he did see an expanded role on defense mid-season in weeks 12 and 13 due to the absences of regular starters Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell.
Injuries, the limited value of special teams and the broader depth at the linebacker position seemed to have combined to force the Bears’ hand as they look to cut as much non-critical financial weight as possible ahead of the new league year.
Who Could Be Cut Next In Chicago?
The obvious pair are Edmunds and tight end Cole Kmet.
The Bears save exactly $15 million in cap space by moving off Edmunds, who has also missed some time due to injury over the course of his career. Edmunds was signed to a 4 year, $72 million deal back in 2023 coming off of an impressive half-decade in Buffalo that saw him obtain two Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020.
But since coming to Chicago – despite being a solid, above-average starter – Edmunds has not played at an elite level and become the dominant, do-all linebacker that the team hoped he would be, having seen the success of their own former first round draft pick and inside linebacker, Roquan Smith, with the Baltimore Ravens after he was traded for a second round pick in October 2022.
The Kmet situation may be a tougher evaluation for the team to make. Kmet signed a 4 year $50 million extension back in July 2023, and he’s been by no means bad. The season just following his extension he put up a career high 719 receiving yards, but in the two years since he has managed 474 in 2024 along with 347 in 2025.
Some of the production decline this past season can be attributed to the acquisition of 10th overall pick tight end Colston Loveland, who ended his rookie season in 2025 with 713 yards receiving, the most of any player on the Bears.
If Chicago don’t fancy utilizing 12-personnel as much, or feel that they will have other, cheaper options in free agency and the draft, Kmet could end up on the open market this spring.