Bears are acquiring a superstar edge rusher valued at $60 million in a trade pitch.

The Chicago Bears failed to acquire experienced pass rusher Matthew Judon in a trade, and they might struggle to get Haason Reddick out of his difficult predicament with the New York Jets. If they are willing to put in a significant amount of work, they might still be able to pursue Cincinnati Bengals player Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson requested to be traded from Cincinnati earlier in the 2024 offseason since the team would not provide him with more stability in the form of a long-term contract agreement. In 2021, the 29-year-old made a four-year commitment to the Bengals, which would cost $60 million. Then, last summer, he added another year to his deal, binding him to the squad through 2025.

Hendrickson, though, recorded a career-high 17.5 sacks in 2023.

He has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL for the past three seasons, even if his contract does not pay him as much as some of the best in the business. His deal pays him $21 million on average a year, which puts him outside the top 10 most paid actors in the role. When the Bengals wouldn’t let him sign a new contract, this inducement caused him to beg for a trade.

Now that he requested a trade on April 24, Hendrickson has participated in the most of the Bengals’ practices. He told the public in May that after showing up for optional workouts in the spring and continuing to be a busy participant in the team’s training camp this summer, it would be a “no-brainer” for him to play for the Bengals in 2024.

Hendrickson further asserted, though, that the front office responded to him and his representative’s approach to talk about a trade or a contract extension with a “pretty firm” response. If the Bengals hold firm to their position, the Bears could have an excellent opportunity to acquire a quality defensive player via trade.

Bears Will Offer Their Extra Second-Round Pick in Trade

If the Bengals are taking trade offers, it would not be a cheap endeavour for the Bears to get Hendrickson. Hendrickson now makes more than $20 million a season and wants more stability, so the Bears would likely need to extend his deal by at least one year in order to enhance his yearly salary.

The Bears would also have to lose a significant amount of their draft capital in order to acquire Hendrickson. Chicago sent Judon to New England in exchange for a third-round pick, but Cincinnati would probably have to part with more for their top edge rusher—ideally a second-round pick.

The following would be a reasonable trade offer for Hendrickson: the Bears would give up the better of their two 2025 second-round picks.

most likely the one they signed with Carolina, which had the higher projected value, in exchange for the premier pass rusher and the chance to give him a long-term contract extension past the 2025 season.

If the Bears or any other team enquires about Hendrickson, the Bengals may be unwilling to give up their first-round pick, but Chicago may be able to convince them of the potential value of Carolina’s selection. According to the most recent ESPN power rankings, the Panthers will finish last in 2024, which means their second-round pick will be selected 33rd overall.

The Bears can afford to offer Hendrickson a significant contract extension with the right setup. Over the Cap estimates that their effective cap space for 2025 will be $37.3 million; however, that figure is only anticipated to rise in 2026, depending on what happens after that. Would the Bears ultimately gain from such a costly transaction?