The Chicago Bears have used this offseason to their advantage to improve the roster after yet another lackluster campaign.
The moves have come on both sides of the ball, and with OTAs right around the corner, Chicago has another opportunity to upgrade the roster.
Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson and the team have been dealing with contract problems throughout the offseason. Hendrickson released a statement to ESPN last week and said there's been "no communication" between him and the Bengals.
He has made it clear he isn't going to play on his current deal and is willing to miss games cause of it. This seems like a golden chance to bolster the Bears and get better off the edge.
The Bears should offer the Bengals a 2026 second-round pick along with a 2026 fifth-round pick in order to land Hendrickson.
Bears Trade for Bengals Star DE Trey Hendrickson in Projected Move
Chicago has just $6 million in cap space in 2025 before it increases to $16 million in 2026. They would have to part ways with some guys and restructure deals for others to fit Hendrickson's extension in.
Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Danielle Hunter, and Maxx Crosby all make $34 million-plus, and that seems like the benchmark Hendrickson is looking to get on his new deal.
Even though he's 30 years old, he is one of the most effective pass rushers in the game. In eight seasons (110 career games), Hendrickson has compiled 220 total tackles, 155 QB hits, 15 pass deflections, and 77 sacks.
The FAU product has made the Pro Bowl over the last four seasons, including leading the league in sacks (17.5) in 2024.
The Bears were middle of the pack last season in team sacks (40), but didn't have one player log more than 5.5 sacks on the year. The addition of a player like Hendrickson would transform this unit and help it reach new heights.
Whether or not Chicago is interested in giving draft capital on top of giving out a monster is a big question mark, but there's no question that he would make this a better team.