How the Chicago Bears Could Win the Caleb Williams Sweepstakes Without Drafting Him

The Bears could be headed for another bidding war with the No. 1 pick.

If USC quarterback Caleb Williams had been eligible for this year's NFL Draft, he would have been the No. 1 overall pick instead of Alabama's Bryce Young.

But he wasn't, so it was Young that enticed the Carolina Panthers to send a massive haul to the Chicago Bears, as they jumped up eight spots to get their new franchise quarterback. 

The Bears landed a plethora of premium picks, as well as star wide receiver D.J. Moore, while Young and the Panthers have floundered. Carolina is the only winless team left in the NFL, putting them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.

Too bad that pick belongs to the Bears, included in the long list of assets the Panthers gave up to leap up the board for Young back in April.

Bryce Young, this year's No. 1 overall pick, has had a rough start to his NFL career in Carolina / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Now, while the Bears haven't exactly set the world on fire to start the 2023 season either, it's painfully obvious that quarterback Justin Fields isn't the problem. He's tossed eight touchdown passes over his last two games, showing improved development as a passer to go along with his explosiveness and big-play ability as a runner.

If Fields continues his upward track, regardless of where the Bears end up with their own first-round pick in next year's draft, it's quite possible they could end up with the No. 1 selection yet again (courtesy of the Panthers), and still not need to spend it on a new quarterback...even one as highly touted as Williams.

Should that be the case, the Bears could be in position to hold perhaps the most expensive bidding war in NFL Draft history, one that could elicit offers surpassing the famous trades for Herschel Walker, Ricky Williams and others.

Justin Fields and D.J. Moore are putting up huge numbers together this season / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

By all accounts, Williams is the kind of prospect who would make most NFL teams reconsider their current quarterback situation in comparison to the opportunity to replace their starter with Williams. The Bears would obviously have that conversation for themselves, but if Fields is playing like a superstar himself by the end of the season, they could choose instead to keep building around him. 

Those efforts would be aided in a huge way by whatever influx of resources another team would be willing to give up for the right to make Williams the face of their franchise. From where we're all sitting today, it's hard to imagine a package of picks and players that would be too exorbitant to offer Chicago, should they be willing to make a deal.

If the Panthers can't turn things around this season, the Bears could end up winning one of the most highly anticipated draft sweepstakes in NFL history, regardless of their own success this season. 

Whether they pick Williams, or auction the pick off to the highest bidder, they could be massive winners either way.