The Chicago Bears received a late Christmas gift from the Carolina Panthers in the form of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Panthers suffered their 14th loss of the season, this one a 26-0 drubbing by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and will officially finish as the worst team in the NFL.
Which is great news for Chicago, who traded their first overall pick in last year’s NFL draft to Carolina in exchange for wide receiver DJ Moore (who has been a stud) and the Panthers’ first-round selection in 2024.
General manager Ryan Poles now has an important decision to make this offseason at quarterback. He can opt to stick with Fields at quarterback and trade the No. 1 selection for a haul or draft a quarterback, like Caleb Williams.
Fields has made the decision a difficult one, especially as he balled out in the Bears’ home finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
Chicago holds the first overall selection for just the fourth time in the franchise’s 103-year existence — and for the second consecutive year. They previously drafted Tom Harmon (1941) and Bob Fenimore (1947) and trade the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
