Bears cut LB Amen Ogbongbemiga
The Bears cut linebacker and special teams stalwart Amen Ogbongbemiga on Thursday and saved more than $2 million in the process.
Ogbongbemiga, who signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Bears last year, will cost the Bears merely a $375,000 dead cap charge next year. He would have counted $2.4 million against the salary cap.
He was limited to just eight games last year after starting the season on injured reserve because of a knee injury. He played 133 special teams snaps and 82 more at linebacker.
He played a whopping 84% of the Bears’ special teams downs the year before, however. Ogbongbemiga played 25 games for the Bears in two years after joining the team following a three-year stint with the Chargers.
The 27-year-old had one start for the Bears. His best defensive game came in Week 12 against the Steelers, when he had 14 tackles after replacing the injured Ruben Hyppolite.
The Bears currently sit about $3 million above the 2026 salary cap. They must be under it by the start of the league year next month.
To get there, the Bears could consider cutting Tremaine Edmunds, who had four interceptions last year, the second-most of any NFL linebacker. The savings would be massive — $15 million. In the past, Bears general manager Ryan Poles has released such veterans before the NFL Scouting Combine out of courtesy. The Combine starts Monday.
Edmunds is due a $1 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year.
The Bears could also simply restructure the contracts of a few veteran players to get under the cap.