The Chicago Bears shouldn't be done adding to their defense, and that's especially true along the edge. A trade idea involving the Cincinnati Bengals would be just what the doctor ordered in Chicago.
The Chicago Bears have a new head coach in Ben Johnson and are looking to get over the hump to the playoffs in 2025 after a four-year drought.
But, of course, it won't be easy, as the Bears play in the NFC North, which is one of the toughest divisions in the NFL after the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers all posted double-digit-win seasons in 2024.
If the Bears want to put themselves in a better position to succeed, they should be looking for any way to improve their defense, and especially along the edge.
Sporting News' Gilbert McGregor has an idea: he suggested the Bears as a possible landing spot for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher, Trey Hendrickson.
"After recording just 40 sacks in 2024, Chicago's pass rush could use a boost. That should naturally improve with a new defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen calling the shots, but that makes this an even more appealing destination," he wrote of a Chicago trade for Hendrickson.
While Bengals brass expressed optimism that something might get done with the star EDGE, who has tallied a league-high 35 sacks the past two years and finished with a league-high 17.5 sacks in 2024, Hendrickson does not see it that way.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini spoke to Hendrickson after positive comments from Duke Tobin and Mike Brown and he said the Bengals' offer lacked guarantees beyond the first year of the contract, which is unacceptable to him.
Adding to that, former linebacker and NFL Network analyst Mati Te'o revealed that Hendrickson told him Cincinnati's offer is "atrociously low," which is just the latest public showing of frustration from Hendrickson.
Bottom line: it doesn't seem the two sides are close, regardless of the Bengals' optimism, and a Hendrickson trade remains a realistic scenario as a result.
Chicago tallied just 40 sacks last season, tied for 16th in the NFL. That simply isn't good enough in a division that has good passers like Jared Goff and Jordan Love.
If there are any Minnesota Vikings fans out there reading this, just relax, we need to see what J.J. McCarthy does after not playing at all last season before we can put him in that group.
But I digress...
To beef up their pass-rush, the Bears added edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo, who had just three sacks in 2024. Not exactly the boost on the edge we were looking for to seriously bolster Chicago's defense.
It goes without saying that Hendrickson would be a massive upgrade for Da Bears. His 17.5 sacks in 2024 would've been a whopping 12 more than anyone else on Chicago's roster (Montez Sweat led the team with 5.5).
A duo of Sweat and Hendrickson would be one of the better pairings in the NFL at EDGE, no doubt about it.
When it comes to trade compensation, a second-round pick could be enough to get things started, but a bidding war could drive it up to a first-round pick. Rest assured, there will be plenty of interest in Hendrickson's services.
From there, a late-round pick or an additional player could be needed, but for an elite edge rusher like Hendrickson, who could take Chicago's defense to another level, it would be well worth it.
An extension would also have to be included in the acquisition of Hendrickson. He will likely take a deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $35 million annually, a deal the Bears should be able to make work.
Category: Football
