The Chicago Bears are releasing defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr., according to Pro Football Talk and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Edwards is the first surprising cut by the Bears ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, especially his versatility to play interior or off the edge but, most importantly, considering he has a dead-cap hit of $3.9 million in 2022.
Following a career season in 2020, the Bears signed Edwards to a three-year, $11 million extension to keep him in Chicago through 2023.
In 2021, Edwards has seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks and one pass breakup in nine games.
Bears are releasing DL Mario Edwards per source.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 30, 2022
Edwards has been sidelined this summer, which allowed other players to step up and make an impact on defense. This could be good news for some roster bubble players looking to earn a roster spot, including defensive linemen Trevon Coley and Sam Kamara.
The Bears have to trim their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT. Follow along with Chicago’s roster cuts:
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=514836]