A season ago, the Chicago Bears received the No. 1 overall draft pick and traded it to the Carolina Panthers. The swap included Carolina’s first-round pick in 2024 heading to Chicago.
On Sunday, the Bears secured the first overall pick once again as the Panthers clinched the worst record in the league with their latest loss.
The Panthers lost 26-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars for their eighth loss in nine games and fell to 2-14.
With the Arizona Cardinals upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 to improve to 4-12, Carolina is two games clear of every other team in the standings with one week left in the regular season.
Chicago (7-9) has won four of its last five games after routing the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 on Sunday. Wide receiver DJ Moore, acquired from the Panthers when the Bears traded out of the No. 1 slot, racked up nine catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. Moore has 92 receptions and has set career highs of 1,300 yards and eight receiving scores.
The Bears will have to decide whether to move on from second-year quarterback Justin Fields and select a different signal-caller with the top overall pick — like Southern California’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye — or stick with Fields and draft another position.
Chicago has held the first overall pick twice, not counting the 2023 selection it traded away. The Bears drafted halfbacks Tom Harmon in 1941 and Bob Fenimore in 1947.
Arizona is tied with the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots at 4-12. Based on tiebreakers, Washington would pick second if the season ended Sunday, followed by New England third and Arizona fourth.
–Field Level Media
