The Chicago Bears did not invest a single one of their 2025 NFL draft picks into a new edge rusher for their defense, but the door is still open for them to weigh the possibility of trading a future draft pick for a star who can play right away.
Earlier this week, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson revealed that the team has not spoken with him or his representation about a contract extension — which he has been adamant about signing — in the weeks following the 2025 draft. He has also said that he will not play for the Bengals in 2025 without a new contract in place.
Hendrickson, 30, will earn a $15.8 million base salary under his current contract, but he is seeking a new deal that would pay him more in line with the highest-paid edge rushers in the league after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks during the 2024 season.
Throughout the process, though, Hendrickson has lamented the lack of communication from the Bengals. His latest public comments calling out the franchise have also only intensified rumors that the team could trade him away to end their contract stalemate, which in turn has given way to speculation about which teams could trade for him.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo believes the Bears “should” be one of those teams even after signing former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency.
“Odeyingbo is a stellar three-down defensive end, but the aggressive Bears would really elevate the d-line by pairing [Montez] Sweat with Hendrickson,” Melo wrote Tuesday. “Trading for Hendrickson would serve as the cherry on top of what’s been an outstanding offseason.”
Trey Hendrickson’s Contract Desires Pose a Problem
There was a time earlier in the 2025 offseason when the Bears trading for Hendrickson would have made a lot of sense for their roster and Dennis Allen’s reimagined defense.
Hendrickson is one of the most productive pass rushers in the league. He has made the Pro Bowl roster in each of his four seasons since joining the Bengals in 2021 free agency and is coming off his second straight season with 17.5 sacks in 2024, finishing second in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year behind Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II.
If the Bears were to add him to their roster and pair him with Sweat (who has 18 sacks in the past two seasons), they would raise the bar on the quality of their pass rusher.
Unfortunately, the Bears are no longer in a position to trade for Hendrickson and sign him to the long-term, higher-paying contract extension that he feels he deserves.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears are estimated to have roughly $200,000 left in cap space once they sign the remainder of their rookie draft picks. They can free up more space with some restructures and veteran cuts, but they would still fall well short of being able to pay major money to Hendrickson even if they pulled all their levers.
The Bears also have a significant amount of money invested in defensive end between Sweat (three years left on a four-year, $98 million contract) and Odeyingbo (signed to a three-year, $48 million contract in March), making another hefty acquisition unlikely.
Will Bears Add Another Edge Rusher Before Camp?
Even if a trade for Hendrickson is unlikely, the Bears may still add another edge rusher to their roster before they roll into the start of 2025 NFL training camp in late July.
The Bears have two starter-quality veteran edge rushers in Sweat and Odeyingbo and a potential third option in 2024 fourth-round pick Austin Booker, but they could stand to add another experienced veteran to their ranks to compete with Dominique Robinson (who is in a contract year) and Daniel Hardy during this summer’s training camp.
As mentioned, the Bears are limited on spending power at the moment, but they could realistically free up enough space to pay one of the still-available veterans on the open market. Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Matthew Judon (whom the Bears tried to acquire in a trade in 2024) and Jadeveon Clowney are all veterans who could fit the bill.
Of course, the Bears will likely want to see how their new defensive linemen mesh in OTAs and mandatory minicamp in the coming weeks before rushing to make moves. If Booker has taken a sizeable step forward in his development or Allen likes his interior guys’ ability to slide out to the edge on occasion, another move might feel unnecessary.
