Hot Take Tuesday: Is Ryan Poles' Bears/Panthers trade poised to become the greatest ever?
When your favorite team is sitting at a disappointing 4-8 record, bye weeks become a much-needed respite. It's a Sunday when you can relax without the anxiety of watching your team potentially lose. Strangely, on this particular day, perhaps influenced by the holiday season, I found myself contemplating the future of the Chicago Bears with a newfound optimism.
That optimism is shining brighter than anyone could have predicted, and it's all thanks to the masterful trade orchestrated by Ryan Poles with the Carolina Panthers. The impact on the Panthers franchise has been nothing short of devastating. Picture it like a movie scene: Poles strolling away from the Panthers' franchise, sunglasses on, with the once-mighty organization reduced to smoldering rubble in his wake.
Of course, if the Panthers had chosen C.J. Stroud instead of Bryce Young, the entire narrative would be different. But they didn't, and as a result, the Panthers are now in complete disarray due to the trade they struck with the Bears.
Peter King recently described the Panthers as being "miles from hopelessness." They've hit an iceberg, and their owner, David Tepper, seems more interested in blaming those who warned him of the impending disaster than reflecting on his own decisions.
Yet, thanks to the Panthers' misfortune, Ryan Poles is emerging as a hero. Now, the question on everyone's mind is just how sweet his success will become when all is said and done.
As it stands, the key players involved in this trade are Bryce Young, DJ Moore, and Tyrique Stevenson. While it's still early to pass judgment, Young's performance isn't exactly promising, and this trade is already looking like a win for Poles and the Bears. However, there are still this year's first-round pick, next year's second-round pick, and the fourth-rounder from the Eagles that Poles acquired by trading down one spot before selecting Darnell Wright.
But the real crux of the matter lies here: if the Panthers gift the Bears the first overall pick, and the Bears select a quarterback who ascends to an elite status, this trade could go down in history as the greatest in NFL history. Yes, you heard it right.
Admittedly, it's a lot of "ifs." Considering the Bears haven't had an elite quarterback since Sid Luckman, skepticism is understandable. However, the Bears have never had such a prime opportunity to get it right.
In the past, they settled for quarterbacks like Jim Harbaugh, Cade McNown, Rex Grossman, and Mitch Trubisky, none of whom were top-tier prospects. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, the potential choices at the top of the draft, are on a different level. While calling them generational talents might be premature, both are among the best QB prospects in the last decade. If the Bears secure the first overall pick, they will have their pick of these talented quarterbacks.
Moreover, they would have the luxury of placing a young quarterback into a team with a sturdy offensive line, a formidable running game, and outstanding targets in DJ Moore and Cole Kmet. With financial resources to attract free agents and another high draft pick to potentially add an elite wide receiver, the stage could be set for a rookie quarterback to thrive under the right coach.
If the Bears make the correct choice at quarterback, this trade could indeed go down as the greatest in NFL history. It would surpass even the legendary John Elway trade or the Herschel Walker trade in impact. An elite QB, a potential Hall of Fame-caliber WR, and several more strong contributors to the roster would be an unprecedented outcome.
It's still too early to shower Ryan Poles with such lofty praise for this trade, but the trajectory it's following is undeniably remarkable and potentially historic in the world of the NFL.
| POLL | ||
5 DECEMBRE | 47 ANSWERS Hot Take Tuesday: Is Ryan Poles' Bears/Panthers trade poised to become the greatest ever? Is Bryce Young a bust | ||
| Yes | 23 | 48.9 % |
| No | 24 | 51.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
