The Bryce Young situation is, objectively, a disaster. The Panthers drafted a quarterback who was probably too small, surrounded him with coaches who definitely haven't been good enough, and have now benched him barely two years after taking him first overall in the NFL Draft. On top of all of that, they basically mortgaged the future to get him. Like I said, objectively a disaster*.
*A disaster for the Panthers, that is. For other NFL teams – or, realistically, one specific NFL team – the deal has been something of a moderate success. No one was happier to see Young get benched than Bears fans, who are all acutely aware of what's on the line if the Panthers continue having what looks like one of the worst NFL seasons in the last decade.
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If you thought Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Darnell Wright, and Tyrique Stevenson weren't enough, there's good news: the trade isn't over yet. The Panthers still owe the Bears their 2nd round pick, which looks awfully good right now.
Bears could have a new Top 35 pick if the Panthers stay this terrible
Carolina’s 2025 second-round pick still is going to Chicago as the final piece of the Bryce Young trade, which went like this:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2024
Bears received:
🏈 WR DJ Moore
🏈 2023 first-round pick (OT Darnell Wright)
🏈 2023 second-round pick (CB Tyrique Stevenson)
🏈 2024 first-round pick…
I've seen this tweet for two days now and I still double-take every single time I read it. In return for the rights to draft the biggest QB bust since JaMarcus Russell, the Bears got their franchise quarterback, an All-Pro caliber wide receiver, their right tackle of the future, and a solid CB2. It is such a lopsided trade that I legitimately feel bad for the Panthers, a team owned by one of the least likable guys in a league full of them.
The irony now is that the Panthers' new QB1 – the guy who will try to lift them out of obscurity and prevent them from giving the Bears another early round pick – is Andy Dalton, who was more or less tasked with the same thing while playing for the Bears. And since we all saw how well the Andy Dalton era went in Chicago, it seems safe to assume that the Bears about to three of the first 50 picks. OL3-OL5, hope you're ready for Chicago winters.