NFL Draft: Chicago Bears ‘are leaning towards trading away the No. 1 pick’

The Chicago Bears are reportedly listening to offers for their No 1 draft pick as they lean towards placing their trust in Justin Fields and trading away top spot.

The team’s general manager Ryan Poles has the No 1 pick in a year where up to 12 NFL teams could be eyeing a young quarterback, giving the Bears plenty of leverage when it comes to doing a deal with a rival.

ESPN report that multiple teams have already approached Chicago to try and trade for the No. 1 spot, and Poles is ‘leaning toward’ moving the pick.

The Bears’ QB1 Fields has just finished his second full season in the NFL, after being drafted No. 11 overall before the 2021 season.

Despite their 3-14 year, Fields was a bright spot and showed flashes of brilliance, throwing for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns, as he works his way towards becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Justin Fields was a bright spark in an otherwise difficult season for the Chicago Bears 

Bears general manager Ryan Poles is reportedly willing to trade away the team’s No 1 draft pick

Alabama’s Bryce Young is being tipped as the first-picked quarterback in this year’s draft, with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson all set to go high.

The NFL’s annual scouting combine begins later this week, with GMs set to be in attendance to speak to prospective players ahead of the April draft. 

Young and Stroud are expected targets of the Colts, who would like to move up from No. 4 to avoid losing out on an elite passer. The Houston Texans own the No. 2 pick and are also in the QB market, as are a number of teams with selections in the top 10 who could be willing trade matches when Poles begins comparing offers.

Bryce Young (left) and CJ Stroud (center) are two players expected to go very high in April

Poles said in January he would listen to any offer, not immediately rejecting the notion a team could trade for Fields instead of the No. 1 pick. The Bears also plan to meet with quarterback prospects during in-person interviews in Indianapolis this week.

General managers often spend countless hours meeting with agents of their own veteran players at the combine with free agency opening in two weeks.

They’ll also be in the company of their peers during and after player testing periods at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The No. 1 pick has been traded before draft day 12 times since 1967. This is the first time the Bears own the No. 1 pick entering the draft since selecting Bob Fenimore in 1947. The ‘Blonde Bomber’ was a halfback at Oklahoma A&M.