Trey Hendrickson frustrated with Bengals — Is Chicago his next stop?

Sam Greene - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 8 hours ago

Every offseason, there are NFL players who are not happy with their current contract status and do what it takes to find a new home. Although it hasn't come to that point yet, this season's version of that is Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, who is not only visibly frustrated with his current contract situation, but it has also reached the point where a trade seems imminent.

One of the more consistent pass rushers for the better part of five seasons, Hendrickson was seen as a trade target for a lot of teams this offseason, but wound up staying with the Bengals in hopes of getting his contract resolved. Not only does that not appear to be happening, but his current relationship with the team seems to be torched, and it has now become a matter of when, not if, Hendrickson will be traded.

According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, who has been close to this situation from the start, Hendrickson isn't happy with the way things have gone the past few months and had this to say about the Bengals and how they are handling everything.

"No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post-draft. The offers before the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to bring me home to the team, they are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”

The fact that Hendrickson publicly stated that no communication has taken place between him and the organization post-draft isn't a good sign, as it feels that this relationship has run its course. That does happen when you play as long as he has, but the worst part about this entire situation is having a player who is visibly unhappy trying to resolve a problem, while the organization refuses to do its part.

Although he hasn't publicly stated that he wants out, you have to think that is coming, as the comments he made about the team and the way the team has handled his situation may be unresolvable. Should Hendricks demand a trade or become available at some point, the Bears need to do whatever it takes to finalize a deal and bring him to Chicago.

No one is going to argue that Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson have done a great job retooling this roster this offseason. They knew they had needs to address, and by all accounts, they did address a ton of those needs. However, the one area they didn't address as much as they should have is the pass rush, and boy would Hendrickson take care of that.

When the Bears traded for Montez Sweat two seasons ago, the goal was for him to emerge as one of the elite pass rushers in the game. You saw that in 2023, as he not only led the Bears in sacks but also the Commanders, becoming the first player in NFL history to lead two separate teams in sacks.

2024 was a bit of a down season for him, but that was to be expected when he is the only legitimate pass rushing threat this team has. The more help you can give him, the better he becomes. Hendrickson would provide Sweat with the necessary support and would give the Bears two players capable of securing 12-plus sacks per season.

Looking at what Hendrickson has done since coming into the NFL, the 6-4 270 270-pounder has logged 77 career sacks in 110 NFL games. That includes his career-best 17.5 sacks last season, as he was the only player on the Bengals defense who was worth noting last season. His 17.5 sacks tied his total from 2023 and have given him four seasons of at least 13 sacks since 2019, which alone makes him one of the more productive players on defense.

Hendrickson has always been known as a soft-spoken player who keeps to himself, but when he goes on record to talk about his contract situation for more than 25 minutes, using the word "disappointed," you get a sense that the frustration is starting to take over. As fun as it would be to see Hendrickson in a Bears uniform, tons of obstacles would need to be resolved for a deal to get done.

For starters, the Bears must figure out a way to make the financials, as they currently sit at 6.8 million dollars under the cap. Considering Hendrickson is seeking 18-20 million dollars per season, the Bears would have to restructure some deals in order to move the money around to make it work.

Chicago would then have to make sure Hendrickson is willing to sign an instant extension to remain in Chicago; otherwise, you would essentially be mortgaging your future for a rental. All that would be fine if it get's you a ring, but the Bears want more than just a ring. They want long-term, sustained success, and that can't happen if you mortgage everything for one guy.

Finally, the cost of getting Hendricks won't come cheap as the Bengals are going to be asking for a lot in return. It could be more than the Bears are willing to give up, at least at this point. However, the longer he stays in Cincinnati, the more likely it is that his price will go down, which is something to keep an eye on.

Chicago found a way to trade for Sweat at the trade deadline for a cheaper deal than expected. Should a similar situation present itself again, don't put it past Ryan Poles to try an get something done.