Getty
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears are already being pegged as one of the most aggressive teams heading into free agency, and a new national prediction just poured major fuel on that idea.
FOX Sports’ Greg Auman has projected that the Bears will land Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson once the market opens.
Multiple outlets echoed the prediction, pointing to Chicago as a logical landing spot for the superstar pass rusher.
General manager Ryan Poles should look to be aggressive this offseason.
He will try to build off an 11 win season and playoff victory in Year 1 under head coach Ben Johnson.
Hendrickson, who has 81 career sacks, would immediately address one of the Bears’ biggest weaknesses from 2025.
Chicago finished tied for 22nd in the league with just 35 sacks, often struggling to generate pressure without dialing up extra blitzers.
For a team that believes its Super Bowl window is opening, adding a proven and explosive finisher off the edge could be the kind of move that changes everything.
Hendrickson Would Transform Chicago’s Pass Rush
From a Bears perspective, this move makes a ton of sense.
Montez Sweat proved to be a difference maker after arriving in Chicago.
However, opposing offenses were able to slide protection his way far too often.
The Bears never consistently found a second edge threat capable of winning one on one matchups.
Hendrickson would be that perfect addition.
He posted back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024 and has recorded at least 13.5 sacks in four of the last five fully healthy seasons.
Even in an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, he still managed four sacks in seven games before undergoing core muscle surgery.
The production has been steady for years.
Since 2020, Hendrickson has totaled 70 sacks across stops with the Saints and Bengals.
He needs just 19 more to reach 100 for his career.
Pairing that kind of consistency with Sweat would give the Bears one of the more dangerous edge duos in the NFC.
It would also take significant pressure off a secondary that was exposed at times last season.
Dennis Allen Connection Makes Hendrickson a Realistic Target
There is also familiarity at play.
Hendrickson spent four seasons in New Orleans under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who now runs Chicago’s defense.
That connection cannot be ignored.
Allen knows exactly how to deploy Hendrickson and how to maximize his ability as a pure pass rusher.
Financially, there are some questions.
Hendrickson is 31 and coming off surgery, and the Bengals could explore a franchise tag or tag and trade scenario.
If he hits free agency, early projections suggest Hendrickson could command anywhere from a one year deal around $21 million to a two year contract approaching $50 million.
For a Bears team that already took a major step forward in Year 1 under Johnson, this kind of move signals something bigger.
The offense made the leap in 2025.
Now it’s the defenses turn.
Signing a former Defensive Player of the Year finalist like Hendrickson would send a clear message:
The Bears are looking to go from a good playoff team to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.