Bears-Panthers Trade Grade: Chicago Can Rebuild, and Frank Reich Will Finally Get His QB

Justin Fields knows he will be the starting quarterback in the Windy City while the Panthers will get to select a franchise signal-caller in April’s NFL draft.

Trade details: Bears receive 2023 first-round pick (No. 9), ’23 second-round pick (No. 61), ’24 first-round pick, ’25 second-round pick and WR D.J. Moore from Panthers. Carolina receives ’23 first-round pick (No. 1)

Bears grade: A-

Panthers grade: A

This is the rare win-win deal.

The Bears now have an opportunity to revamp a franchise in desperate need of a makeover. Chicago is armed with multiple first-round picks in 2024, along with three top-65 picks in ’25. The Bears also get a legitimate top-end receiver in D.J. Moore, who has posted three 1,000-yard seasons over five years in Carolina despite poor quarterback play.

In Chicago, Moore will be a significant upgrade. Third-year quarterback Justin Fields will now have a game-breaker on the outside, opening up offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s scheme.

While Moore comes with a sizable contract of three remaining years and $52.2 million, Chicago has more cap space than any other team. Additionally, the free-agent market for receivers is weak, with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Allen Lazard being the best options. Moore is clearly a better player than any of the aforementioned, and on a reasonable deal.

Lastly, if Fields doesn’t play well in ’23, the Bears now have two first-round picks in a class which includes USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye as potential replacements. Both are considered elite prospects. Bears GM Ryan Poles is now armed with ample ammunition to make a move if needed.

As for the Panthers, this is a tremendous statement.

With the Colts, head coach Frank Reich cycled through four starting quarterbacks in as many seasons after Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement in August 2019. The end result was his firing last November.

Now with Carolina, Reich and the front office have secured the No. 1 pick in the draft, allowing them to draft the quarterback they believe will be the future in Charlotte.

Being on the quarterback carousel isn’t only something in Reich’s nightmares. Panthers owner David Tepper has seen it firsthand, too. Since buying the Panthers in May 2018, Tepper has yet to see the same quarterback start in consecutive seasons for Carolina.

Furthermore, while the cost of the trade is steep, it’s somewhat mitigated by the trade of running back Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers last October, which netted second-, third- and fourth-round selections in 2023 along with a fifth-rounder in ’24.

Even after sending draft compensation to the Bears, the Panthers still have six selections this April, including two in the top 40, three in the top 100 and a half-dozen in the top 150.

The main concern for Carolina is now surrounding its rookie quarterback with offensive skill.

After trading Moore, the receiver depth chart is headlined by Laviska Shenault Jr. and Terrace Marshall Jr., who caught a combined 55 passes for 762 yards and two touchdowns. By himself, Moore posted 63 receptions for 888 yards and seven scores. The Panthers are also taking a $14.625 million dead cap hit for Moore in 2023, part of a whopping $48.105 million in dead money across their salary-cap sheet.

Still, if Carolina selects its franchise quarterback in the upcoming draft, that’s a small and temporary price to pay.