The Chicago Bears have a big decision to make when it comes to their starting quarterback job.
With the overall no. 1 pick in late April’s NFL draft, they’ll have first dibs at selecting USC 2022 Heisman award winner and blue chip quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. They’ll also have the option of drafting North Carolina QB Drake Maye, who excels in just about every major category.
However, they also have the option to trade that coveted no. 1 spot for a haul of talent, like they did last year in a deal with the Carolina Panthers that brought them wide receiver DJ Moore and major draft capital, which included, as things turned out, their no. 1 pick this year.
Chicago Bears: Wheelers and Dealers?
Although it’s hard to believe that the Bears would trade away their second straight top pick, especially Caleb Williams, it’s certainly a possibility. But what if the deal was with the division rival Minnesota Vikings? That’s still, apparently, possible if the Vikings are as QB-hungry as many believe they are right now, preparing for a future without Kirk Cousins.
What the Vikings Would Give Away for No. 1 Pick
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that Minnesota might be willing to part with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson for a chance at grabbing a future star quarterback.
“[The Vikings] want, I believe, a franchise quarterback and trading Justin Jefferson could be the key toward getting the return to move up [in the draft], if that’s what they want to do,” Florio wrote via The Viking Age’s Twitter/X account on Monday.
Last year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell assessed that Jefferson would bring in, at least, two first-rounders.
“I don’t think Jefferson would land three first-round picks in a trade, but the Vikings likely would be able to nab two first-rounders and a mid-round pick or a starting-caliber veteran if they decided to rebuild from the ground up and trade him,” Barnwell wrote.
Now, applying all of that to a Vikings deal with the Bears? The asking price would go up significantly for a no. 1 and Caleb Williams, so Jefferson– whose stats make him the top wide receiver in the league when healthy– would just be part of a much bigger deal.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that it would take a “historic haul” for the Bears to swerve away from Williams and cut a deal for their top pick. So, what, exactly, would that “historic haul” entail?
Max Dible of Heavy.com estimates that it would take Jefferson, Minnesota’s first-round pick this year (no. 11) and their first-round pick in 2025 (or a package of selections of equal value) to make the deal happen.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report expects much more of a return for this year’s Bears pick. He estimates that getting the no. 1 pick this year would cost the Vikings their no. 1 picks this year, next year, and the year after that. Plus, it would also cost a second-round pick this year and next year, as well as a third-rounder next year.
Trading away six high draft picks over the next three years is essentially mortgaging the team’s future in the hope of Caleb Williams being the star impact player many anticipate him being. It would be a bold move, but a calculated gamble.
Bold or Dumb?
It would also be a bold move for the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles, who’d have to cross their fingers that Williams DOESN’T become a superstar– one who will burn them twice a year and be a constant reminder of what they could’ve had.
All of this is first predicated, however, in Chicago’s willingness to keep current starting QB Justin Fields and build around him.
A decision on the Bears quarterback situation is reportedly coming soon, so plans should be revealed before too long.