Turns Out Another Team Spooked Panthers Into Bryce Young Trade

It may go down as the single most consequential trade in Chicago Bears history. GM Ryan Poles engineered a blockbuster deal with the Carolina Panthers for the #1 overall pick. They would use it on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Chicago used the massive return package to score DJ Moore, Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, and Tory Taylor. Five starters, including a potential franchise quarterback of their own. That doesn’t include the 2nd round pick they still have next year.

People have struggled to find out what compelled the Panthers to give up so much. Yes, they wanted a franchise quarterback and love Young. Even so, it felt like the move was made in a panic. Otherwise, teams don’t usually give up that much. As it turns out, such an assessment is accurate. According to Adam Jahns and Joe Pederson of The Athletic, another team was making strong overtures about a move up for Young. This is likely what pushed Carolina to make a renewed push after the scouting combine.

With the Las Vegas Raiders also eyeing a move up in the draft for Young, the Panthers were prepared to send several high draft picks to Chicago for the No. 1 pick. Their initial offer did not include a player. But as the talks would stall and heat back up, Poles asked former Carolina GM Scott Fitterer about edge rusher Brian Burns, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Moore, all former first-rounders.

The Raiders’ interest in Bryce Young set everything in motion.

Poles knew he wanted to trade the pick. The key was getting the market to a point where teams would bid against each other. Once Las Vegas entered the picture, it put instant pressure on Carolina. Team owner David Tepper was a big fan of Young and had grown tired of trying various veteran options like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield at quarterback. He refused to be outbid and instructed GM Scott Fitterer to get the deal done. After some back and forth, the package came together as we know it.

Incredibly, the Panthers sacrificed all of that for what amounted to 18 games of Bryce Young. The former #1 pick was horribly mismanaged from the jump. Carolina had offensive line problems, no credible playmakers, and a coaching staff immediately under the gun from the start. Just a few games into this season, Young was benched for Andy Dalton. While it stabilized their offensive problems, it doesn’t erase how much those lost picks could hurt them in the long run.

Meanwhile, they might set the stage for Chicago’s return to relevance.