Should the Bears Target This Disgruntled Bengals DE?
The NFL regular season begins in just three weeks, but it hasn’t stopped breaking news from coming out. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson has had trouble with contract talks between himself and the Cincinnati Bengals. Reportedly, the Bengals are now listening to all trade offers. According to The Athletic, the Bengals have been listening to offers for weeks and have a high asking price. One team that should be looking into Hendrickson is the Chicago Bears.
Hendrickson would lead the league in sacks last year with 17.5, the same number he had the season before. He has earned himself a Pro Bowl selection in all four of his seasons with the Bengals and shows no sign of slowing down. The veteran has averaged well over 10 sacks a season in his career, an impressive feat that the Bears could sorely use. Chicago does have defensive end Montez Sweat, who has proven himself in the past as a top player at his position, but could use another superstar on the defensive line that could help them make a big push for the playoffs. Sweat led Chicago in sacks with just 5.5, making it a top priority this season to get the defensive end room corrected.
As for what the Bears would need to give up to get Hendrickson, it would more than likely be someone like Sweat and another top player on their defense. Cincinnati isn’t going to just give up its star player, which would mean the Bears having to make some tough decisions. Head coach Ben Johnson has shown himself to be a very competitive coach in the NFL so far, and it wouldn’t be much of a shock if this is a player he would want to target. As the Bears roster stands, they could use more star power to make them a competitive team in their tough division this year. Chicago has lacked major stars with big contracts over the past few years, and with the brand new coaching staff in place, this would be the perfect opportunity to begin the new era in the Windy City. With the NFL regular season just weeks away, the Bears and Hendrickson will be a storyline to keep an eye on.
