The Chicago Bears are in the early process of evaluation. Right now, GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have concluded Senior Bowl work and are moving on to in-house evaluations ahead of free agency next month. They must determine which players to prioritize keeping and who they will likely have to let walk. It hasn’t reached a point where they’ve assembled a list of outside names they may want to pursue. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen doesn’t have that problem. He already knows who he wants, and it’s Trey Hendrickson.
People inside Halas Hall informed SM that Allen is already pressing Poles to make a run at the former NFL sack leader. It isn’t hard to understand why. The defensive coordinator helped draft and develop the star defensive end in New Orleans, who was a former 3rd-round pick. Unfortunately, the Saints already had Cameron Jordan and 1st round pick Marcus Davenport, so they couldn’t afford to keep him. He went on to a stellar run with the Cincinnati Bengals. They, too, seem ready to bid farewell after refusing to offer a contract extension last season.
Dennis Allen knows Hendrickson still has gas in the tank.
His 2025 season was cut short by injuries, but in the seven games he played, he recorded 4 sacks and 8 quarterback hits. He should be healthy by the start of training camp in July. Pairing him with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker should finally give the Bears defense a formidable rotation of edge rushers that can give offenses problems. It would then allow Poles to focus on other areas in the draft, such as defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety. The tricky part will be finding the money.
Salar cap experts claim Hendrickson will command around $25 million per year. Given he turns 32 this December, he’s probably looking at a two-year deal. Chicago is currently $10 million over the cap. That means Poles will have to do some considerable payroll maneuvering to find the money. It can be done, but it may require some sacrifices. Will Dennis Allen get his way? Much depends on how big the market for Hendrickson is. Edge rushers are always in high demand.
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Still, he may wish to join the Bears, both for a chance to reunite with Allen and join a team that just made a deep playoff run.
