The Chicago Bears have had a busy offseason, mainly focused on rebuilding their offense. They hired Ben Johnson and have made key additions to that side of the ball.
However, the Bears’ decision not to draft an edge rusher could lead to a trade. When the Bears hired Matt Nagy for their second-year quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, they made a blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack. FanSided’s Terrence Jordan thinks history could repeat itself and the Bears could trade for Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Hendrickson is a stud that would be the best Bears pass-rusher since Khalil Mack,” wrote Jordan. “It won’t be cheap to get him, which is likely why he wasn’t dealt when he first was given permission to seek a trade, but as long as the price isn’t too exorbitant, Poles should figure out a way to get it done. The Bears may have missed the postseason last year, but they have a playoff-quality roster now. Don’t waste a year making sure that you’re ready to contend. Go out and make it happen, especially when a move makes so much sense for both teams.”
The Bears did draft defensive lineman Shemar Turner in the second round, who figures to help in the pass rush. He had 10 sacks in his college career. Hendrickson led the league in sacks last season and was an All-Pro. He has been named to four consecutive Pro Bowls and has 57 sacks since 2021. He is looking for a new contract, but the Bengals have not met his needs.
He was given permission to seek a trade but remains with the Bengals for now. He is in the final year of his contract, and Spotrac projects him to earn a two-year, $62 million deal. Owner Katie Blackburn noted that she thinks Hendrickson should be happy and settle for what the Bengals are offering.
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“Hendrickson had been given permission to seek a trade earlier in the offseason, but was still trying to work out a long-term deal with the Bengals,” wrote Jordan. “Blackburn’s comments didn’t seem to help the situation, and he responded to them on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ by saying, ‘That was a little disappointing because communication has been poor over the last couple months.'”
Hendrickson would not be a cheap acquisition, but he would put the Bears’ defense over the top. Pairing him with Montez Sweat would make the Bears a contender in a loaded NFC North.
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