George Kittle Declares What Bears Should Do With No. 1 Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The 49ers tight end candidly explained what he would do if he were making draft decisions for Chicago.

The Chicago Bears own the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which means they will be the talk of the league after the Super Bowl. The big question is whether Chicago will keep Justin Fields at quarterback or draft another signal-caller, such as USC’s Caleb Williams, with the pick. Seemingly everyone has an opinion on what the Bears should do, including George Kittle.

The San Francisco 49ers tight end was asked what he would do with the top pick if he were running the Bears, and he backed Fields as a franchise quarterback.

“Personally, I think they should trade back, get as many picks as they can and build around a guy that they’ve been trying to build around, give the guy some actual options,” Kittle said at Super Bowl LVIII opening night on Monday at Allegiant Stadium. “Build him up as big as you can and trust the kid.”

George Kittle’s advice to the Chicago Bears on what to do with the No. 1 overall pick. #SBOpeningNight #sportspulse #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVIII pic.twitter.com/yvDMbKJ7iz

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 6, 2024

Kittle knows the 49ers are built as a balanced team with myriad stars to complement Brock Purdy at quarterback, and he seems to believe the Bears should take a similar approach.

Fields will be entering his fourth NFL season in ’24, and since ’22 he has totaled over 4,800 passing yards and 1,800 rushing yards while accounting for 45 total touchdowns in his past 28 games. However, many observers believe Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is a can’t-miss prospect.

The Bears own two picks in this year’s top 10, which gives them flexibility to build around whichever quarterback they choose this offseason. But it seems as though Fields already has proven his value to Kittle.