The Chicago Bears' biggest mission this offseason is adding more firepower to the defensive side of the ball. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams found their groove as the season went on, but now they need to get more productive players on defense.
Pass rush is going to be at the top of the list for the Bears, as they were tied for 30th in the NFL in team sacks (35). Montez Sweat led the way for Chicago with 10.5 sacks, but the closest edge rusher was Austin Booker, racking up just 4.5 sacks.
That's not good enough, making edge a priority. There will be several options made available in free agency, but the Bears would be wise to proceed with caution around Trey Hendrickson. Especially with the contract he's projected to get.
Bears Should Be Wary of Trey Hendrickson in Free Agency Due to Potential Contract
Hendrickson is the best edge rusher slated to hit the market, but it comes with a certain price. Spotrac projects that Hendrickson will get a two-year, $50.8 million deal. His estimated $25.4 million annual salary is the highest among free agent edge rushers, making him the 11th-highest-paid pass rusher.
For a team that needs more juice, that doesn't sound bad, but the Bears don't have much extra cash to play with. As things currently stand, Chicago is -$9 million in the red in projected cap space, per Spotrac. They still have to make some cuts and restructure some deals to get under the salary cap, so they make some moves.
That's without mentioning their own free agents hitting the market, which include Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Nahshon Wright, to name a few.
Chicago has tough decisions to make about who they want to retain. If they met the price that Hendrickson is expected to get, it would force them to part ways with multiple players who found success last year.
Hendrickson routinely made plays for the Bengals, securing 120 QB hits, 56 TFLs, and 61 sacks in five seasons. That included four Pro Bowl nods, but he's already 31 years old, and just last season. He was limited to seven games this past year and was forced to undergo core muscle surgery that ended his season.
Typically, players don't get healthier as they get older, and if he were paid as the market projects, Chicago would want him to play at an elite level. Just last year, the Bears handed out $91.5 million to Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo. Those men combined for 2.5 sacks and 12 QB hits. Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which will impact his 2026 campaign.
There's no hiding that the Bears need more juice at pass rush, but there are other options to consider. Free agents like K'Lavon Chaisson, Leonard Floyd, and Arnold Ebiketie aren't in the same tier as Hendrickson, but would cost far less to bring in and would still improve this unit.
The Bears also have the NFL draft as an outlet to infuse the pass rush with talent. General manager Ryan Poles has some options to improve at the position, and given the numbers being floated for Hendrickson, Chicago would be wise to look elsewhere.