It’s still early in the offseason, but the Chicago Bears haven’t had the kind of offseason fans were hoping for, as far as acquiring edge talent. The team wasn’t able to get a trade done for Maxx Crosby, and Chicago also missed out on top free agents like Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh, and Boye Mafe. However, there are still a couple of guys available who could make a significant difference on the Bears’ defensive line.
The top available guy is former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who is arguably the best free agent of the offseason. There wasn’t much noise surrounding Hendrickson on day one of the legal tampering period, and it turns out that’s because his asking price is pretty high.
NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that the veteran defender is in contact with many teams, but with edge defenders signing deals paying $30-$40 million a year, Hendrickson would like something in that range. Teams haven’t been willing to meet that asking price, and that’s why the defensive end hasn’t agreed to join a new team yet.
.@AdamSchefter gives an update on Trey Hendrickson during NFL free agency 🏈 pic.twitter.com/TyMfEZ8sG5
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 10, 2026
Schefter explained that this isn’t abnormal for free agency and that eventually, players will start to bring their asking price down once they get a better view of what their market actually is. If Hendrickson starts bringing his number down, his asking price could reach a point where Chicago decides to get involved in his market.
Bears could pursue Trey Hendrickson as his asking price is expected to reduce
As things currently stand, Chicago isn’t believed to be a serious suitor for Hendrickson; Schefter recently made that clear, saying that he hasn’t heard anything about the Bears exploring adding the veteran defender. Things can change quickly in the NFL, though, and they certainly have for Chicago. Now, Hendrickson may be the team’s best option at edge, and he might soon be available for them.
To be clear, though, Hendrickson isn’t some consolation prize. He is a four-time Pro Bowler with 81 career sacks, including back-to-back years with 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024. While an injury limited him to just seven games and four sacks this past season, the 31-year-old should still be a productive pass rusher.
Read more: Dennis Allen’s history with one free agent could remove a target off the Bears’ list
The Bears should be hoping that his number comes down to a price they can afford, and if it does, they need to aggressively pursue him.