The Chicago Bears quarterback dilemma has been one of the hot issues in the NFL for the last couple months.
With the Bears having the overall no. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft, they will get first dibs on selecting USC Heisman award-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, who is an elite-level prospect and many feel is a can’t miss franchise QB. But Chicago currently has Justin Fields in the starting QB spot, coming off the best year of his 3-year career and showing signs of field maturity to go along with flashes of brilliance.
The current prevailing thought among most experts is that the Bears will draft Williams and trade Fields. But the reemerging idea that Chicago will trade out of the no. 1 spot in the draft has been generating significant buzz throughout the NFL combine in Indianapolis these last couple days.
Chicago Bears’ Change in QB/Draft Plans?
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report recently talked about this in a live stream broadcast:
“One of the question marks that I’ve seen materialize over the last 24 hours here in Indianapolis is whether or not the Bears are going to trade out of that first pick, whether or not they believe that Caleb Williams is the savior, is the franchise quarterback that he’s been made out to be, is this can’t miss prospect. And, if not, then you have to consider a trade…
There have been legitimate rumblings throughout Indianapolis, not necessarily from the Bears…but..when you start asking about the draft and the top of the draft, specifically, there are folks around Indianapolis, around the combine telling me ‘Hey, watch out for the Bears. That could potentially be a team to trade out of the first pick.’
…There’s also the perception that– you see the painted nails and some of the press conferences from Williams]…I wonder…if that’s a concern. I’m also wondering from the Bears front office is that a concern?
…When it comes to the number one pick and the Bears, this is a situation that is fluid and it would not shock me at all if Chicago ultimately made the decision to trade out, even if they traded back to two with Washington. That would command a massive amount back, in terms of draft capital.
That’s the situation to monitor and one that’s been buzzing a lot over the last 24 hours in Indianapolis.”
Bears-Commanders Trade?
So, what could the Bears get if they did trade back to no. 2, allowing Washington to step up and draft Washington-area native, Williams?
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, envisions a scenario where Chicago would give up their top spot in return for Washington’s no. 2 spot, a second-round pick this year, and a 2025 first-round pick.
In a more conservative trade proposal, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report imagines that, for their no. 1 pick, the Bears could get Washington’s no. 2 pick, Washington’s second-round pick this year, and a third-round pick in 2025.
Most everyone still believes that Chicago will trade Justin Fields, though. That appears to have remained a constant throughout this no. 1 trade talk. Most feel that if the Bears do trade their top pick in this year’s draft, they’ll end up selecting one of the other top quarterback prospects such as Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or Chicago-area native J.J. McCarthy.
Throwing water on the fires of hot gossip, however, is NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, who says that teams are not willing and/or able to offer up the kind of historic haul needed to entice the Bears into giving up no. 1.
“I have not talked to any team, one, willing to make that happen, or two, that believes they can,” Rapoport recently said on NFL Network. “It surely seems that the Bears are heading in the direction of taking Caleb Williams at No. 1.”
Stay Tuned.