One could call it chance or call it fate, but there's little doubt that it required quite a bit of good fortune for the Chicago Bears to wind up with Caleb Williams as their No. 1 quarterback. As they prepare to meet the Carolina Panthers in this weekend's season opener, the trade history of the two franchises is back in the spotlight.
The Bears famously sent the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers back in 2023. In return, they acquired the Panthers' first and second-round picks in 2023, another first-round pick in 2024, a 2025 second-round pick, and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Moore is, of course, now in Buffalo, but mainstays in Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, and Luther Burden III remain key components of the 2026 squad.
The ability to draft Williams the following year, however, remains the most crucial part of the deal that allowed the Panthers to select Bryce Young atop that 2023 draft. The two quarterbacks enter the new season with differing development paths and outside perceptions, but Williams, for his part, expressed gratitude over how things materialized.
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The Bears famously sent the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers back in 2023. In return, they acquired the Panthers' first and second-round picks in 2023, another first-round pick in 2024, a 2025 second-round pick, and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Moore is, of course, now in Buffalo, but mainstays in Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, and Luther Burden III remain key components of the 2026 squad.
The ability to draft Williams the following year, however, remains the most crucial part of the deal that allowed the Panthers to select Bryce Young atop that 2023 draft. The two quarterbacks enter the new season with differing development paths and outside perceptions, but Williams, for his part, expressed gratitude over how things materialized.
#round
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