Peter King Suspects Bears Will Make Surprise Move With Top Pick

Ever since the Bears secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the general consensus across the football world has been Chicago will use the coveted selection on elite quarterback prospect Caleb Williams.

But as it turns out, Ryan Poles and company might have other plans.

In his latest Football Morning in America column for NBC Sports, longtime NFL reporter Peter King snuck in a noteworthy nugget about what the Bears could be plotting for Draft Day.

“I suppose the Bears are going to trade the top pick,” King wrote. “I know nothing, but that seems to be the way the wind is blowing. What I say: The Bears could keep Justin Fields (and should), and trade the first pick down once or twice, and build the kind of supporting cast a team needs to contend.”

King shared his expectation one day after ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler confidently stated that a quarterback-needy team would trade up in the draft. While the New England Patriots’ spot at No. 3 has long been viewed as the earliest window for such a trade, it sounds like the Bears will be open to at least listening to offers.

Fields, the 11th overall pick in 2021, already has made it clear that he wants to stay in Chicago. And if the Bears believe he’s capable of being “the guy,” trading the No. 1 pick could help the franchise surround Fields with high-end talent for years to come.