The New York Giants have completed a significant move to bolster their defense.
The New York Giants have been busy at the outset of free agency on Monday. First, they signed tight end Isaiah Likely. Now, they have bolstered their defense.
The Giants have agreed to sign linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on a three-year, $36 million contract, via Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL media.
The deal features $23.7 million in guaranteed money and fills New York's need for an off-ball linebacker following the release of Bobby Okereke.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Edmunds spent the 2025 campaign with the Chicago Bears and racked up 112 tackles, a sack, four interceptions and 10 passes defended.
The 27-year-old was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 16th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft and spent the first five years of his career with the Bills, making back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in 2019 and 2020.
Edmunds then proceeded to sign with the Bears in 2023 and accumulated nine picks across his three seasons in Chicago.
The Virginia Tech product has registered well over 100 tackles in each of his first eight seasons, establishing himself as one of the better linebackers in football.
With the Giants desperately needing help with their run defense, Edmunds should comprise a great fit, as he posted an 81.3 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus this past season.
While Edmunds is quite the ball hawk, he struggles in coverage, which is something New York will definitely have to monitor in 2026. But the Giants can't solve all of their woes in one fell swoop.
It's about putting puzzle pieces together, and in landing both Likely and Edmunds, New York has nailed down a couple of key needs with plenty of time remaining to figure out the rest of them.
The Giants still have holes at wide receiver, defensive tackle, cornerback and offensive line, so we will see how New York proceeds for the remainder of free agency.
Remember: the Giants also own the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft, so it's also entirely possible that they will wait to address some of their needs next month.
New York entered free agency with limited cap room, so now, the G-Men will have to get creative.
NY Giants Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Giants. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.