The Chicago Bears have officially clinched the first overall pick after Carolina’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, two of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory, are going to be on a team-friendly contract for the next five seasons. Most of the time, taking either one of these prospects would be a no-brainer. However, quarterback Justin Fields gets better and better every week, and Chicago might consider trading the first overall pick for the second time in as many years.
After a slow start to the season, Justin Fields has firmly established himself as one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league. Now that he has a legitimate receiver in D.J. Moore, Fields has guided a Bears team with poor coaching and talent to a 7-9 record. Following Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, fans chanted out “We want Fields”, and there’s a chance Chicago’s front office shares that feeling. After all, the Bears only got the first overall pick because the Carolina Panthers are terrible – the season shows that Fields can guide a flawed roster to playoff contention.
This was incredible yesterday. #Bears fans loudly chanting, "We want Fields!" after their QB's heroics.
A fascinating offseason looms. https://t.co/FSvAQUGKgE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 1, 2024
If the Chicago Bears feel Justin Fields is the answer at quarterback, then they can trade the first overall pick for a king’s ransom. Williams and Maye both have the potential to be top-10 quarterbacks and in today’s NFL, you need a good passer if you want to compete. Several teams would give up everything for the right to select either player, but these five teams make the most sense.
5 Teams That Could Trade For the Bears First Overall Pick
Washington Commanders/New England Patriots
As of this posting, the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are neck-and-neck in the battle for the second-overall pick. The teams have identical 4-12 records, and the strength of schedule tiebreaker is about as close as it can get. Barring multiple Week 18 upsets, one of these teams will earn the second-overall pick and will probably settle for whichever quarterback isn’t selected with the first-overall pick. The other team, however, will have to get aggressive if they want to get their quarterback.
The Bears should welcome the opportunity to trade back to the third-overall pick, as they’d still be able to select Marvin Harrison Jr. The Ohio State product is easily the best player in this class, regardless of position, and could be an elite pairing with D.J. Moore. By making this trade, the Bears can get a no-doubt superstar and probably pick up another first-round pick in 2025.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones has had one good season during his five years in the NFL. It just so happened that said season occurred in a contract year, and it earned him a $40 million annual paycheck. Jones reverted to the norm in 2023, and backups Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito were able to play just as well as Jones when injury struck. At this point, the Giants need to cut their losses, accept Jones isn’t a franchise quarterback, and start looking for a guy who could finally be the long-awaited heir to Eli Manning.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting situation. Kirk Cousins is set to hit free agency, and the quarterback was playing the best football of his career before his season-ending Achilles injury. Nobody knows what Cousins will look like at the start of the regular season, and there is a chance Minnesota will let him walk in free agency. If that happens, then they should be among the top candidates to trade for the Bears first overall pick. Last year, the Panthers traded from the ninth-overall pick to the first-overall pick, and Minnesota could end up with a top-10 selection if they lose next week.
New Orleans Saints
At 8-8, the New Orleans Saints will have a tough time convincing the Bears to trade their first overall pick. However, history shows us that nobody is more willing to trade up and get their guy than New Orleans. Over the past few seasons, the Saints have been one of the most aggressive teams in the league when it comes to trading up, so if there’s a will, there’s a way. The team would need to part with their current first-round pick and maybe a young star player like Chris Olave. Even that might not be enough to get the job done, but it’s a good starting point.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
