Now that the 2024 NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson is available for trade, will the Chicago Bears pay the high cost to acquire him and cause a huge wave?
The Chicago Bears have certainly been busy this offseason. Ahead of the new NFL league year (which begins on Wednesday, March 12th), general manager Ryan Poles already made two big trades to shore up a weak point, the offensive line. He acquired guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, both Pro Bowl level players.
The Chicago Bears have, for too long, been getting destroyed in the trenches. That is especially true with the offensive line. Trading for two very good interior linemen, the unit is greatly improved. Of course, there is still work to be done on the offensive line.
However, the offensive line has not been the only area of concern in the trenches. They have also had trouble on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive line has been unable to get to the quarterback by their edge rushers. For a few seasons now the Chicago Bears ranked low in total sacks, quarterback hits, and pressure percentage.
Now the Bears have a shot at shaking the NFL world. The 2024 sacks leader, Trey Hendrickson, is available for trade. The Cincinnati Bengals informed him that he was free to look for a trade. He is now the most-coveted pass rusher available this offseason.
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If the Chicago Bears can pull the trigger on a deal, they can be playoff contenders even before any other changes are made. They could now start to bully other teams instead of getting bullied the way they have in recent seasons. Winning in the trenches is huge to becoming a contender. Shutting down the opponent’s offensive plan and being able to run yours is a recipe for success.
Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks in 2024 and 35 sacks in the past two seasons. Adding him to play opposite of Montez Sweat would give the Bears a great duo. Throw in defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who can rush the quarterback from the interior, and the defense can turn things around and give opposing quarterbacks a difficult time.
Acquiring Hendrickson will be very expensive, however. Getting one of the best pass rushers in the league will require some gumption. Poles has wanted to turn the Chicago Bears around and this is a way to get that done. He thought he was nearly there in 2024 but the wheels came off at about a third of the season.
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The Bears would have to give up a Day 2 draft pick to bring Hendrickson to Chicago. That could likely be a third round pick. Poles has shown he is not averse to dealing picks for players he feels could help, especially second round picks.
Poles traded a 2023 second round pick for wide receiver Chase Claypool. That did not work out but he kept at it. He traded another second round pick to acquire Sweat and that has been a good deal so far.
Like Sweat was when the trade was made, Hendrickson is in the final year of his contract. He is looking for a new deal to make him one of the highest paid edge rushers in the league. So in addition to giving up a valuable draft pick, Poles would have to work out a big contract. He was able to do it for Sweat. Can he do it again?
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Hendrickson is 30 years old, and that could affect a deal. The Las Vegas Raiders seemed to reset the market by signing Maxx Crosby to a three-year, $106 million contract with $91.5 million guaranteed. T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is 31 and in 2021 signed a four-year, $112 million deal with $80 million guaranteed.
Look for Hendrickson to want something in-between those two contracts. That would give the Chicago Bears an expensive edge rushing duo. That means it would be a gamble for Poles. He took some gambles in his tenure and a few blew up in his face. That is the job, however. There will be some misses. The hope is that the hits will be much bigger than the misses.
For the second straight offseason, the Chicago Bears will be making some noise. Signing Hendrickson could be the noisiest move they could make. They could silence the critics who have been hammering them for their failures over the past two decades.
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