As the Chicago Bears look to improve their pass rush, the team was loosely linked to Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson prior to the draft. Following Hendrickson’s latest report, the Bears could once again find themselves in the Hendrickson trade mix.
The Bengals signed both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive contracts. However, that left Hendrickson without a long-term play. If both sides can’t come to an agreement, he seems more likely to be dealt rather than walk away in free agency for nothing.
The chances of the Bengals actually signing Hendrickson to an extension have now hit a shocking low. While the defensive end is intent on getting a deal done, Cincinnati hasn’t reciprocated. On Monday, Hendrickson once again expressed his unhappiness with the Bengals while bringing his contract dilemma to the forefront, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,” Hendrickson said in his statement. “The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations.”
“Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating,” Hendrickson continued. “I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”
Trey Hendrickson statement today to ESPN: “No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are… pic.twitter.com/2MKBL60ATg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025
Trey Hendrickson completely changes Chicago Bears
There are plenty of logistics to get through for an actual Hendrickson trade to come to fruition. For starters there’s what Chicago gives up. While the pass rusher is a proven commodity, a second or third-round pick is still a hefty price for a team still building their franchise’s foundation. Furthermore, if the Bears acquired Hendrickson, they’d need to sign him to a long-term contract. Based on their offseason moves, Chicago only has a little over $6 million available, via Over the Cap. Overall, Ryan Poles and company would need to get through numerous hurdles to actually acquire Hendrickson.
But if the Bears can make it work, there is no doubting that Hendrickson would give their defensive a mammoth boost. Chicago finished their 2024 campaign with 40 sacks, more than 15 other teams. However, Montez Sweat led the team with just 5.5. If the Bears want to be real competitors in the NFC North, they need to cause more chaos in opposing team’s backfields.
Hendrickson is coming off back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons. He is on a stretch of four straight Pro Bowl appearances, earning his first All-Pro nomination in 2024. That 2024 campaign also saw Hendrickson earn a 88.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking eighth/211 edge rushers. Over his entire eight-year NFL career, the pass rusher has made 77 sacks and 155 quarterback hits.
The Bears haven’t had a double digit sack getter since Robert Quinn’s 18.5 in 2021. Hendrickson would essentially guarantee that streak ends, while forming an explosive combination off the edge with Sweat. Add in players like Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner and Gervon Dexter, and the Bears look incredibly more dynamic across their defensive line.
For now, Hendrickson is continuing to voice his displeasure. Ultimately, it’ll force the Bengals to make a decision. If their best – only – option is to trade Hendrickson away, the Bears would once again be linked to the pass rusher. However, if they’re the ones to actually lure Hendrickson away from Cincinnati is a different conversation.
Chicago Bears named NFC North’s offseason winner
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