Trade Proposal Lands Commanders Caleb Williams From Bears for Massive Haul

GettyCaleb Williams attempts a pass.
The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the expectation is for them to find their franchise quarterback. With the No. 1 pick, the expectation is for the Chicago Bears to draft Caleb Williams, the consensus top prospect in the draft. However, Bleacher Reports Alex Kay put together one trade package for each team picking in the top 10, sending Williams to the Commanders for Drake Maye, a 2024 third-round pick, and a 2025 first-round pick.
Kay’s proposal would be a rare trade where the Bears select Williams but send him to the Commanders.
“However, the Bears could opt for a rare prospect swap shortly after they’ve been drafted, much like the New York Giants and then-San Diego Chargers did in 2004. The Bolts shipped No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning to New York in exchange for No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers, a third-rounder in that year’s draft and first- and fifth-rounders the following year.”
en Solak of The Ringer wrote on March 4 that the Bears could make that deal if they weren’t taking a quarterback due to the message it’d send the quarterback they draft.
“Here’s another wrinkle: One of those front office fellas told me the Bears could make that deal only if they weren’t taking a quarterback at no. 2, because moving back to take a franchise quarterback would send the wrong message to both that quarterback and the team. But could Chicago really say no to multiple extra picks—let’s say a future first and a future second—when it still gets to draft a franchise quarterback? That’s tough.