Bear Digest

Two wild Bears trade notions not even worth considering

The Bears making trades is worth considering when they have cap space and the talent to trade, but here's two moves that aren't worth thinking about.

Gene Chamberlain

Ryan Poles has made almost all of his moves to improve the Bears because of this thing called the salary cap.
Ryan Poles has made almost all of his moves to improve the Bears because of this thing called the salary cap. / Photo: Chicago Bears video
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Social media is undoubtedly a petri dish for lunacy, yet they've outdone themselves with two particular thoughts regarding NFL personnel of late.

This would be two trade notions, one entirely comical, the other which merely shows how much people really don't understand how the league operates.

There is plenty of talk about the Bears signing free agents at running back and edge rusher and this makes more sense, although there are limits.

1. QB Tyson Bagent to Saints

This is the comical one. With all due respect to Bagent, if the Saints really wanted him all they might need to do is wait for him to be cut.

It could happen if the Bears decided to go with only two quarterbacks because they didn't sign Case Keenum to be a mentor for Bagent. They signed him to mentor Caleb Williams. Bagent becomes a third wheel.

What has Bagent done to be the player who comes in to replace Williams ahead of Keenum? Keenum is the author of the Minneapolis Miracle and starter in 66 NFL games, not including the playoffs, and an NFC Championship Game. Of course Keenum is No. 2.

The Bears could very well keep a third QB because the Lions did this most of the time Ben Johnson was in Detroit, and it only makes sense with the way roster rules are at this point. Then again, that could also be Austin Reed.

The Bears are not the issue here, really. Why the Saints would want Bagent is the issue. Maybe they just couldn't get enough of the five interceptions he threw there to the New Orleans defense in 2023?

Just because Derek Carr retired doesn't mean they're entirely without a QB.

Bagent has four starts and won two over two of the absolute worst teams in the NFL that season. He didn't get meaningful action in his second season.

Meanwhile, after Carr's retirement the Saints have Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, Taysom Hill and they drafted Tyler Shough in Round 2.

A Round 2 QB can be your starter. For that matter, Haener was a fourth-rounder and Shough a fifth-rounder. Hill is really a jack of all trades but has 159 more career throws than Bagent, an undrafted Division II passer. Haener, Rattler and Shough all played Division I football and Shough displayed an arm strong enough to be drafted way ahead of Shedeur Sanders this year, although just about everyone else was, too.

The Saints won't be knocking the door down anytime soon to acquire Bagent so wash this one out of your mind.

Bagent isn't valued around the NFL like he's a potential starter and in many cases wouldn't even be considered a backup.

2. DE Trey Hendrickson to Bears

This one is a popular notion because 1) The Bears look to be short a defensive end for their rotation and 2) Hendrickson fits the Dennis Allen scheme because he used to play in it in New Orleans. 

Never mind that Hendrickson is 30 years old now, or what the Bengals' trade demands would be in terms of a draft pick—it's rumored they would take a second-rounder.

Since the Myles Garrett contract extension, this is easily the most popular Bears move yet to be made but folks, for the gazillionth time, there is this thing in the NFL called a salary cap.

Hendrickson's contract is in its last year and so he is a player easily traded by the Bengals, who are up against the cap because of all the money they've been throwing at their explosive offensive players. He's more easily absorbed by a team with cap space because there is so much cash on the deal that isn't guaranteed. He has $15.8 million in salary due for 2025.

The Detroit Lions come to mind as one team with a ton of space left. The 49ers have more available than the Lions and can use edge rush help. The Patriots have so much money left they almost have to go out and spend a bunch or they might get caught not spending enough of it. Yes, there is a rule requiring they spend a certain amount.

The Titans, the Raiders—imagine Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby together—the Steelers and T.J. Watt...there's a long list of teams with cap space who could take that $15.8 million, say thank you very much and move on with their 30-year-old pass rusher, Hendrickson. They could get him his extension against their future cap.

The Bears are not one of them.

There are only three teams with less cap space available for this season than the Bears. Once their three second-round picks get signed, the Bears will be extremely close to zero space left. Overthecap.com lists their effective cap space at $174,117 this year. That's one hundred and seventh-four thousand dollars, not million.

For the Bears to take on that $15.8 million in salary alone this year under their cap, they'd need to cut people who are near the top end of their cap space or trade them.

Trade Cole Kmet? The Bengals already have tight end Mike Gesicki and he's about at the same place in cap allotment as Kmet. The Bengals already are spending the seventh most money in the league on offense and they want to add Kmet to Gesicki? Unlikely. They need defense.

The Bears also have the future to consider. Even if they cut people or found someone of some value to trade to the Bengals, they would need to come up with a contract extension for Hendrickson. After all, that's why he's in this situation of demanding a trade—Cincinnati can't pay him.

The Bears not only are up against the cap this year, they have already spent themselves into the same situation for 2026. They have about $28 million left but only $14 million in effective cap space according to Overthecap.com. That's a figure more accurate because it includes the projected draft pool.

The Bears still need to get Joe Thuney that contract extension and Jaquan Brisker. Andrew Billings and Braxton Jones need extensions, among others. 

The Bears already spend the fifth most in the league on their defensive line, $57 million according to Spotrac.com. They made their commitment to spending money on the defensive line with Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo. They have a bargain in Billings and he's out of contract in 2026.

Spending more on another defensive end is a pretty big ask. It's impossible, actually.

Push the bigger years of the contract in bonus money off into he future for a guy who is 30 now? Remember Ryan Pace?

The Bears are more apt to sign an edge rusher off the scrap heap right now. That’s all they can afford. They can’t even think about Hendrickson.

It's a nice wish, and that's all it is.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.