The Chicago Bears set themselves up for future success over the weekend when they traded away the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers for a bevy of picks as well as wide receiver D.J. Moore. The trade allows the Bears to build for the future, but also take a big step next year with Moore now in the fold. One ESPN NFL analyst is even saying the acquisition sets quarterback Justin Fields up to play at an MVP level.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Dan Orlovsky, speaking with former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum, made the bold prediction that Fields will take his play to a new level with Moore and be among the elites in 2023 and beyond:
.@danorlovsky7 believes the Bears trading down will help Justin Fields:
"Justin Fields will play MVP-level football for the next two seasons." pic.twitter.com/XBdQGMxe6A
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 13, 2023
Justin Fields will play MVP-level football for the next two seasons. That’s what the Bears believe and this trade helps that. I like the trade for both places, Carolina needed to jump and now Justin Fields has a chance. Mike [Tannenbaum] when you say he hasn’t had a lot to work with, I would argue he’s had the worst situation in the NFL to work with…Now he has competent help around him.
I would pose this question, because everyone is going to correlate this situation to Jalen Hurts. I would also correlate this situation to Josh Allen in Buffalo. Who was more impressive in their first two years in the NFL? Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts? Justin Fields and Josh Allen? Justin Fields and what he did with what he had is actually more impressive [compared to] the first two years of Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen’s career. And then both those teams said ‘we’re going to get you help’ and look what those two players blossomed into.
Justin Fields is going to play awesome for the next two years.
That’s quite the prediction from Orlovsky, who has heaped praise on the young quarterback since last season following his breakout performances. For months, though, the NFL world was begging general manager Ryan Poles to get him a true WR1 as someone he can count on. The model was already out there Allen and Hurts teaming up with Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown, respectively, and those comparisons were made almost immediately when the Bears acquired Moore as each player got reinforcements entering their third year.
While Brown was already a receiving monster with the Tennessee Titans before joining the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s important to note Diggs wasn’t yet the Pro Bowl player with the Minnesota Vikings like he is with the Buffalo Bills. It wasn’t until he and Allen linked up that each player took a significant jump in their careers. Moore could still take a step just like Diggs did and take Fields’ game to the next level.
Fields finished his second season in the league with 2,242 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 85.2. He set numerous records as a rushing quarterback, totaling 1,143 yards with eight touchdowns. Moore, meanwhile, had a down year with the Panthers in 2022 compared to his production throughout his career. He caught 63 passes for 888 yards, but had a career-high seven touchdowns.
In addition to Moore, the Bears also acquired picks No. 9 and 61 in this year’s draft, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.
