Bear Digest

Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson seeking trade; should Bears be interested?

The Chicago Bears are in the pass-rusher market this offseason, and a superstar just became available for trade.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago BearsCincinnati Bengals

The Chicago Bears' need for an edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat is well-documented and has been ranked as the team's second-biggest offseason priority behind the offensive line.

General manager Ryan Poles has taken massive steps toward fixing the offensive line through two trades, both for high-end guards. Poles dealt a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro Joe Thuney and a sixth-round pick in 2025 to the Los Angeles Rams for former Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson.

With Thuney and Jackson in place, expectations around the league have the Bears focusing on defensive linemen as 2025 free agency approaches. But perhaps Poles isn’t finished making trades just yet.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Cincinnati Bengals have granted star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.

Trey Hendrickson is an ideal trade target for the Chicago Bears

From a pure talent perspective, Hendrickson is a no-brainer for the Bears. He's had 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons, and at 30 years old, there's no doubt he has at least two or three seasons of high-level production left.

A pass-rushing duo of Sweat and Hendrickson would immediately be the best in the NFC North. And if there's any defensive coordinator who can maximize Hendrickson's potential, it's Dennis Allen, who was part of the New Orleans Saints staff that selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Hendrickson had a breakout season under Allen's watch in 2020, when he totaled 13.5 sacks and introduced himself to the NFL as one of the game's elite pass rushers.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years,” Hendrickson said. “I love this city and organization. I appreciate the privilege of now being allowed to explore my options.”

Chicago Bears would need to pay up to land Trey Hendrickson in a trade

Hendrickson won't come cheap.

First, there's no way the Bengals will let him go for anything less than a second-round pick. The Bears are one of the few teams that could meet that demand. Armed with two of the first 10 second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Ryan Poles should have no issue sending one of them to Cincinnati for the NFL's sack leader.

The contract might be another issue. With all the money Chicago is investing into the offensive line, it's unclear whether the team would be willing to spend north of $20 million per season on a new deal for Hendrickson, whose cap hit in 2025 will be $18.6 million.

Hendrickson is seeking a raise, and he’s earned it. And if the Bears are serious about transforming their defense into one of the NFL’s best, they should be all-in to acquire him.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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