The Chicago Bears still need another edge rusher, but it is unlikely that reigning NFL sack champion Trey Hendrickson is going to be that guy.
That is not opinion, but rather an assessment based on next-team odds for Hendrickson that DraftKings Sportsbook released on Sunday, August 17.
Oddsmakers pegged the Bears at +2500 to land Hendrickson in a trade, putting them behind 14 other new destinations and the likelihood of the Cincinnati Bengals ultimately keeping the pass rusher on their roster in 2025.
The Bengals have the best chance of rostering Hendrickson in Week 1 at -450, per DraftKings. The Carolina Panthers, who are absolutely bereft at the edge rusher position and have massive incentive to trade for a playmaker there, have the best odds of any new franchise of acquiring Hendrickson at +500.
The Detroit Lions came in at +800, while the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers each had odds of +1000 to trade for the star defensive end.
DraftKings afforded both the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals odds of +1400 to deal for Hendrickson.
Bears Lack Dominant Edge Rusher, Montez Sweat Regressed Last Season
GettyChicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat.
How Bears fans should feel about their chances to land Hendrickson, a great player at a premier position that also happens to be one of need in Chicago, is a matter of perspective.
The glass half-empty look is that the defensive front doesn’t have a dominant edge rusher anywhere, with Montez Sweat the clear-cut top player in that regard.
Sweat was a Pro Bowler in 2023, tallying 12.5 sacks total and six sacks in nine games for the Bears after Chicago traded a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for him at the deadline. However, Sweat’s year-to-year sack production dropped by more than 50% in 2024 (5.5 sacks). His total pressures also dipped nearly that much, from 40 to 22, per Pro Football Reference.
The Bears addressed the front-seven through free agency, adding defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and tackle Grady Jarrett.
Odeyingbo has averaged north of five sacks per season over his past three campaigns, but he isn’t a pure pass rusher and often rotates inside on high-down, long-distance snaps anyway.
Meanwhile, Jarrett has had some productive seasons pressuring opposing QBs from the interior, but those days appear mostly behind the 10-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowler. He has tallied more than 20 pressures just once in the past four seasons (2022) and put up more than four sacks just a single time in the last five campaigns (also 2022).
Elite players off the edge rarely come available in free agency or trade, so the pessimistic viewpoint is that the Bears have a chance to grab one now — not the mention the salary cap space to do so — but league insiders and oddsmakers don’t see that pursuit as likely.
Better Options for Bears Than Trade for Trey Hendrickson Include Micah Parsons Pursuit, Drafting Edge Rusher in 2026
GettyEdge rusher Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
The optimistic view is that Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2024, will turn 31 later this season and is probably at his peak. He led the NFL last season with 17.5 sacks, a total that matched his production in 2023 exactly.
Edge rushers can play at a high level into their 30s. Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns is a year younger than Hendrickson and just got $160 million over four years. Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt is a year older and just set the market at $41 million annually on his extension.
Hendrickson will earn $21 million in 2025 and is ostensibly seeking money in the $35-$40 million annual range over a new three- or four-year deal. Even the short end of those figures (say three years, $105 million with 75% guaranteed) is a significant financial commitment and risk for a player who is probably going to decline over the life of the deal rather than improve.
Chicago still has a lot of money and draft capital moving forward. If the team could put together a monster offer for someone like Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, that would be worth the risk. Otherwise, it might make sense for the Bears to bide their time, develop a three-level identity under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and return to the draft in 2026 with their eyes on the best pass rusher they can find.
Other opportunities for incremental improvement by way of free agency or trade should arise in the coming months, and it’s also possible that 2024 fifth-round draft pick Austin Booker can take a leap in his second season and bring the unit more pass rush than it appears to have on paper entering Week 1.
Bears Get Deflating News on Possible Trey Hendrickson Trade