Bears urged to make bold Trey Hendrickson trade after key Week 9 win

The Chicago Bears are 5-3 and tied with the Detroit Lions for second place in the NFC North. While the Green Bay Packers hold the division lead, their Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers has made the Packers' future uncertain.

With the Bears' incredible win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, along with the Packers and Lions' losses, the potential for Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson to be aggressive at the deadline becomes a realistic possibility.

Dan Graziano of ESPN urges the Bears to act on such aggression in a trade with the Bengals, whom they just beat. Graziano is urging the Bears to acquire Trey Hendrickson, an All-Pro pass rusher who'd be an incredible pickup for Chicago.

ESPN writer urges the Bears to acquire Trey Hendrickson

While the Bengals have expressed no interest in trading Hendrickson, at 3-6, the Bengals aren't viewed as playoff contenders. The All-Pro pass rusher is a free agent after this season, and if Cincinnati could land a high draft pick, trading him would be worth it.

"But the standings say what they say," Graziano writes, "and Johnson has said he has no interest in making this a slow build. Bears GM Ryan Poles is usually active at the trade deadline, and it would be no shock (nor a bad idea) if he made an aggressive move to improve his pass rush for the stretch run."

Adding Hendrickson won't come cheap, as the Bears would likely need to move at least a second-round pick to acquire Hendrickson. The Bengals have asked for a first-round pick, but that price tag for a rental, regardless of how great they are, is a bit too rich.

More: Bears vs. Eagles Black Friday game on Amazon Prime Video to make global NFL history

Chicago could spend a second-round pick or more, but a first-rounder is likely not within the cards for the Bears. Poles and Johnson can be aggressive, and if there were one player to be assertive for, Hendrickson would be it.

With the season-ending Achilles injury to Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears have a clear need at pass rusher. Even if it's not Hendrickson, adding another edge defender is a priority for the Bears.

But, with their cheap and young quarterback, along with the defensive hole at the position, adding a star like Hendrickson wouldn't be the worst option.

The 30-year-old would be a massive boost for the Bears' struggling defense, and could help them compete for the NFC North with the Lions and Packers dealing with some injuries to key players on their rosters.

More Bears News:

• Why Bears changed kicker back to Cairo Santos from Jake Moody
• Bears announce horrible Kyle Gordon update as star cornerback hits injured reserve
• How D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai helped re-establish Bears' run game
• Bears predicted to acquire former Pro Bowler in deadline trade with NFC team
• Cole Kmet injury update isn't good news for Bears