Bears should pass on Trey Hendrickson, sign Khalil Mack instead |
Ariana Pensy
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- 4 hours ago
The Bears have made some impactful trades in the past few days with the addition of guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Could they do it again to improve their defense by acquiring defensive end Trey Hendrickson?
After this season, it is clear that Hendrickson is one of the premier pass rushers in the league, as he has recorded 17.5 sacks each of the past two seasons. Hendrickson has been voted to the Pro Bowl for the past four seasons and was voted as an All-Pro for the first time in his career this past year. He also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Hendrickson will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2026. However, the Cincinnati Bengals have permitted him to seek a trade. His cap hit this season is $18,666,668, so it makes sense for the Bengals to try to create some cap space, mainly when the NFL Draft is deep in pass rushers. Cincinnati also has more cap space than Chicago, meaning it could take on more money in Hendrickson’s contract if it meant more draft capital for the Bears. This is precisely what makes a trade for Hendrickson dangerous for the Bears. Chicago would have to give up significant draft capital to acquire Hendrickson, potentially their first-round pick or both second-round picks. For a team like the Bears that needs so many pieces, spending this kind of capital on one player does not make sense when free agency and the NFL Draft have so many options at pass rusher. One of those options is former Chicago Bears player, Khalil Mack who is set to become a UFA. Mack just turn a few weeks ago but is still a highly productive player who would add a lot to Chicago’s pass rush. Except for his rookie season in 2014 and the 2021 season, when he missed half the season due to injury, Mack has been voted to the Pro Bowl every season of his career. He is also a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010s Team. During his time in Chicago from 2018 to 2021, Mack went to three Pro Bowls, was a first-team and second-team All-Pro, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. In those four seasons, he recorded two interceptions, 36 sacks, 163 tackles, and a safety. Mack will undoubtedly become a Hall of Famer. While he will most likely be able to play at the level he did during his first stint in Chicago, he has a lot left in the tank and can still be a valuable asset to the Bears’ pass-rush attack. Another benefit of signing Mack instead of trading for Hendrickson is cost. Mack will be a UFA, so the Bears are not giving up any draft capital to acquire him. Furthermore, he commands a lesser salary than Hendrickson, partly because of his age. The salary he would command could be around $15-$20 million. While that is still expensive, given that Chicago only has around $40 million left in cap space after their trades for Jackson and Thuney, among other roster moves, getting a player like Mack and still having the draft capital to build for the future is worth the money.
