Bears just got massive news on big-name defender ahead of NFL free agency with confirmation that he’s now headed to the open market
If the Chicago Bears want to go big game hunting next week, the ideal target will now be out there.
Free agency in the NFL world is set to kick off next week and we’re about to cross a critical deadline before the frenzy begins in regards to the franchise tag.
The Chicago Bears are not expected to use the franchise or transition tag on any pending free agents but we did see a few big names such as George Pickens, Kyle Pitts, and Breece Hall already get hit with the one-year tag.
Who didn’t get tagged is going to be just as important and that’s where massive news just came in for the Bears looking ahead to next week’s action.
Cincinnati Bengals did not franchise tag Trey Hendrickson, who’s now headed to free agency
When the franchise tag window opened, there was a legitimate possibility that the Cincinnati Bengals would use the tag on four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, with the idea that the Bengals could then trade him to another team after using the tag.
It would have been the doomsday scenario for the Bears’ chances of landing Hendrickson this offseason and thankfully that’s not going to happen. The Bengals opted against using the tag on Hendrickson and now will let him hit the open market next week.
With this news now basically official, Hendrickson becomes easily the top free agent name on the market and will have a robust amount of interested suitors. Chicago has been linked to Hendrickson numerous times as a potential landing spot and he’s certainly a top target for the team to pursue to add another impact player on defense.
With the Maxx Crosby rumors swirling in Chicago, Hendrickson is a name I’m starting to come around on for the sake of not having to give up significant draft capital. The only downside is that Hendrickson is older, coming off an injury, and will earn a pretty penny for himself on the market.
It’s still going to be a tough thing to pull off but general manager Ryan Poles might lean toward chasing a guy like Hendrickson on the market instead of giving up the farm in a trade for Crosby. And it helps that Hendrickson actually has familiarity working with Dennis Allen after playing for him to start his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how next week unfolds and what path the Bears take to secure another top edge rusher. Hendrickson being a viable option now just makes things that much crazier over the next few days.
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