Bear Digest

Trey Hendrickson wants out of Cincinnati—and Bears Nation wants him in Chicago

Alan Goldsher|
Trey Hendrickson contemplates his potential future in Chicago
Trey Hendrickson contemplates his potential future in Chicago | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago BearsCincinnati Bengals

Landing Joe Thuney was good. Landing Trey Hendrickson would be better.

So says a section of Bears Twitter, and it’s eminently understandable why the Chicago faithful want GM Ryan Poles to bend over backwards to acquire the prolific defensive end. Y’see, it turns out that Hendrickson is ready for a new home.

Needless to say, NFL nerds across the land are hoping, wishing, and dreaming that their team’s decision-makers figure out a way to get the 30-year-old former Florida Atlantic attendee into their building.

And of course they do. Who wouldn’t want a dude who posted back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, and has been voted onto four consecutive Pro Bowls?

Hey. Whaddya Say We Get Trey. Today.

Chicagoans have been particularly vocal about said hopes, wishes, and dreams, as per the barrage of pro-Trey tweets that have flooded Twitter since news of Hendrickson’s bombshell request was made public.

Many pointed out that Chicago would be the perfect landing spot, as one of Hendrickson’s old teachers is on the Bears staff.

The major question is, what kind of compensation would Cincy be seeking? Bears Nation, as is their wont, offered up plenty of suggestions, some of which are logical, while others are a pipe dream.

And some are simply basking in Trey's stats:

Plusses and Minuses

If social media’s wish is granted—if Poles can pull off a mind-blowing deal—the Bears’ pass rush suddenly becomes legit, as opposing O-lines would have to account for both Hendrickson and Montez Sweat.

Yikes.

The downside is that Hendrickson is in the final year of his contract, and will be looking for an extension that’ll set the Bears back about $30 million a year. Additionally, his current $18 million cap hit will hamstring Poles’ ability to fill his roster’s numerous holes. And more additionally, the deal would rob Chicago of precious draft capital.

But when the math tells you that over the last two seasons, Hendrickson has racked up a total of 35 sacks, while the Bears—as a team—have compiled 70, you have to pick up the phone.

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Alan Goldsher
ALAN GOLDSHER

Alan Goldsher has written about sports for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Apple, Playboy, NFL.com, and NBA.com, and he’s the creator of the Chicago Sports Stuff Substack. He’s the bestselling author of 15 books, and the founder/CEO of Gold Note Records. Alan lives in Chicago, where he writes, makes music, and consumes and creates way too much Bears content. You can visit him at http://www.AlanGoldsher.com and http://x.com/AlanGoldsher.

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