The Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the league in 2023, which means the Chicago Bears are on the clock first at the 2024 NFL Draft. This was made possible by last year's NFL Draft, when the Bears traded away the No. 1 pick to the Panthers in exchange for wide receiver DJ Moore, two picks in the 2023 draft, Carolina's 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.
The Bears have many options when it comes to their top pick, including trading down or selecting a quarterback. The ladder would likely mean quarterback Justin Fields' time in Chicago is coming to an end, something Moore does not want to see.
The wide receiver has been vocal about wanting Fields to remain with the Bears and believes his current QB is a better option than who the team will see at the NFL Combine this week.
"I still don't think they compare to Justin right now," Moore said about the quarterbacks available, like Caleb Williams and Drake Maybe (via NFL Total Access).
Moore, who had a career year of 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns, said his experience with Fields as his offensive leader has been a positive one.
"The relationship jelled real well from the beginning," Moore said. "Since I got traded [from the Panthers] he was in contact, and we started throwing together, so it made the transition into games and everything easy."
In his career, Moore has had to form relationships with multiple quarterbacks, as no signal caller was able to maintain the job very long in Carolina. His QBs included Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. He clearly feels he has found something good in Fields and is hoping the revolving door of quarterbacks in his life is coming to a stop.
Since joining the Bears in 2021 as a first-round pick, Fields has gone 10-28, thrown for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. While there have been some great moments from the young quarterback, it is not enough to ensure that the Bears won't look elsewhere for a new starter. Fields has a fifth year option coming up, but the Bears could choose to trade him instead.
Moore is hoping that Chicago sticks it out with Fields and uses its No. 1 and No. 9 picks to build around the quarterback, possibly taking another wideout.
"I want to say, yeah, we could add another receiver," Moore said. "They got some real talented ones [in the draft]. I know Marvin [Harrison Jr.], so that'd be a choice of mine. But any of those guys that are the big names, I've seen and really liked."
If the Bears do want to sell the first pick again, it will take a lot from another team, according to NFL Media.
The Bears went 7–10 last season and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Their last playoff win was over a decade ago in 2010.
The league is very quarterback reliant and their decision this offseason could impact their success for years to come. Choosing a quarterback with the first overall pick did not immediately work out for the Panthers last season, with their selection Bryce Young struggling all season.
