Add another edge rusher to the Bears’ free-agent watch list: Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals didn’t issue the franchise tag to their star defensive end by Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline, which means Hendrickson will head to free agency next week.
Hendrickson is 31 and played just seven games for the Bengals last season because of injury — and after an offseason tug-of-war about his contract. He had 17 ½ sacks in each of the previous two seasons, though.
He said goodbye to Cincinnati fans, teammates and coaches in a long letter Tuesday afternoon.
Hendrickson played for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen when the two worked for the Saints. Hendrickson played his first four seasons with the team after being drafted in 2017.
The Bears didn’t have any logical franchise tag candidates.
Those who were tagged include the Jets running back Breece Hall; Cowboys receiver George Pickens; Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts; and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones got the transition tag, which gives them the right to match any offer.
The franchise tag binds a player to their team for an extra season after calculating his salary based on top-performing players at his position. It’s often a starting point for a contract extension — tagged players can negotiate one until July 15.
Momentum continues to move in the Bears’ direction, too.
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He was the centerpiece, figuratively and literally, of a revamped offensive line that lifted Caleb Williams from one of the most-sacked quarterbacks of all time as a rookie to the Bears’ single-season passing leader.
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The Bears could look for a stopgap solution in free agency, but they might be better served addressing it in the first round of the draft and letting competition sort it out over the next few seasons.
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