Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
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Defensive end Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chicago Bears don’t have an overwhelming edge-rusher on the defense, which is arguably the team’s greatest flaw heading into this season.
The options to add such a player are essentially non-existent now, though a couple of reasonable options remain available in free agency: Za’Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney serving as the two best examples.
Chicago probably should pursue such a player with their season opener just eight days away. However, deals for pass-rushers well past the age of 30 don’t typically run longer than a year or two, as such players tend to serve in more situational roles at relatively high price points.
The Bears will have a chance to make a stronger counter to the Green Bay Packers‘ recent blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons next March when Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson hits free agency.
That move, however, won’t be cheap or absent considerable risk.
Trey Hendrickson Predicted to Command More Than $30 Million Annually on Next Contract Despite Age
Trey Hendrickson
GettyTrey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hendrickson was embroiled in a contract struggle with the Bengals for essentially the entirety of the offseason. The team ultimately settled the dispute without an extension by renegotiating Hendrickson’s deal to a value of $29 million in 2025 with an implied promise of free agency next spring.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Sunday, August 31, ranked Hendrickson as the No. 3 free agent of the 2026 class and projected he will earn a three-year deal worth $100 million total.
It’s hard to envision several teams not making substantial offers for Hendrickson’s services, though. He’s recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons — with an impressive 89 quarterback pressures combined — and done it without the benefit of an even average supporting defensive cast.
While Hendrickson’s age may prevent him from topping T.J. Watt’s [$123 million] deal — even though Hendrickson is a couple of months younger than Watt — he should receive offers that aren’t too far below it. Expect Hendrickson to net more than the $29 million he’s scheduled to make this season on his revised contract.
Bears Wouldn’t Have to Commit as Many Years, Dollars to Trey Hendrickson as Packers Did to Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys News
GettyEdge rusher Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers
As Knox noted, Hendrickson is on the wrong side of 30. However, he’s still two years younger than the likes of Smith and Clowney and has been far more productive in recent campaigns.
Hendrickson has earned Pro-Bowl honors four years in a row and added first-team All-Pro honors in 2024. He also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
Multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers (Watt) and the Cleveland Browns (Myles Garrett) have forked over contracts worth $40 million or more annually this offseason to edge rushers at, or very near, the age of 30.
Hendrickson will be a full year older than that next spring when he’s eligible for such a deal. However, if Knox’s prediction is correct, Hendrickson will be looking at an annual number of around $33.3 million over a three-year contract, which is the same number of years that Watt received. The Browns gave Garrett four years, while Parsons also got a four-year extension from Green Bay.
If Hendrickson remains as relatively productive in 2025 and he’s been the past two seasons, and if Chicago performs well enough this year to play its way out of contention for one of the top pass rushers in the 2026 draft, Hendrickson could meet the risk-reward standard to qualify as the Bears’ next big free-agency swing — assuming they’ve put themselves in a position to make a leap into the upper echelon of the NFC by that point.