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.
“Big appreciation," Williams said. "Obviously, them making that choice and that decision, looking into the future and getting some of the guys that we have, including myself. Being able to be here, being able to be at this historical franchise; it’s unbeatable.”
While it may not have seemed that way at the time, Williams' situation eventually turned heavily favorable under Ben Johnson and a reshaped roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Not only does he have a proper coach guiding him, the trade also netted two essential elements of his success in Wright and Burden.
It's almost difficult to overstate just how much that trade of No. 1 overall in 2023 reshaped the Bears' projection in the years that have transpired since. With the trade now firmly in the rearview mirror, Sunday has a chance to put a stamp on what is already deemed a massive win for the organization.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Caleb Williams reflects on Bears' trade of No. 1 pick to Panthers
