After years of living in quarterback purgatory, the Carolina Panthers decided they had enough. The Panthers made a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears that will see them acquire the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and give them a chance to select their signal-caller of the future.
The Bears previously made it clear to the rest of the league that they were willing to trade the pick and then sat back to see who gave them the best offer. While the teams like the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts expressed interest, Carolina ended up coming through.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers are sending this year’s No. 9 and No. 61 picks, a 2024 first-round selection in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025, and star wideout DJ Moore to Chicago.
The trade represents a massive win for the Bears and their general manager Ryan Poles. The team was never going to select a quarterback, considering they believe Justin Fields is the future, especially after a promising 2022 campaign.
By making the trade with the Panthers, Chicago now replenished their draft chest that will help them put a competitive team around Fields while also getting him a No. 1 option at the wide position in Moore. In his five years in the league, Moore went past 1,000 receiving yards three times despite playing with eight different quarterbacks.
The Panthers, on the other hand, have been aggressively pursuing an upgrade on the QB position in recent years. They were involved in trade talks with Pro Bowlers Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson but couldn’t get the deal done. By getting the No. 1 pick, they can now solve their QB problem and select one of the signal-callers from a talented 2023 class.
While the Panthers are expected to take a good look at all options, most believe the team is leaning towards Ohio State’s C. J. Stroud.
