The Chicago Bears might not be easy outs in the NFC North this season, but there’s no denying that they’re competing in arguably the toughest division in football. The Detroit Lions currently lead the pack at 4-1, and somehow, they could still get even better — a thought that should terrify Bears fans.
Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone recently suggested that the Lions could make a play for Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, and that potential trade would be a nightmare scenario for Chicago fans. Hendrickson is a dominant defensive force who specializes in pressuring quarterbacks — something that would spell trouble for a Bears offensive line that’s already inconsistent at best. Facing him twice a year would be brutal.
Trey Hendrickson joining the Lions would be a disaster for Chicago fans
As painful as it is for Bears fans to imagine, the trade would make sense for both sides. Hendrickson turns 31 in December and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Given the contract tension that’s existed between him and Cincinnati, it feels likely that he’ll be on the move after this year anyway.
The Bengals recently traded for Joe Flacco, and for the first time in years, the AFC North looks wide open. If Flacco can help steady the team and keep them in contention, the Bengals may hold onto Hendrickson despite the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency.
That means Bears fans should be pulling for Cincinnati to keep winning — because as long as they’re in the playoff race, the odds of trading Hendrickson drop. Anything that improves the Lions is bad news for Chicago. Detroit is already one of the league’s most dangerous teams, and adding another elite pass rusher would make them downright terrifying.
In terms of direct impact, the Bears won’t see the Lions again until Week 18, the final game of the regular season. Chicago got blown out by Detroit back in Week 2, but with months still to go, there’s hope that things will look different by that rematch. Of course, that hope doesn’t include seeing Hendrickson wearing Honolulu blue.
There’s no denying that Hendrickson — who’s posted 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons and already has four through five games this year — would be a nightmare addition for Detroit. So for once, Bears fans need to cheer for the Bengals to keep winning (except when they play Chicago soon) and keep this frightening trade scenario from ever happening.
