Longtime NFL reporter and insider Peter King announced his retirement on Monday, ending a decorated career in football journalism. He also decided to light the fuse on a fresh debate about the Chicago Bears‘ plans for the #1 pick when he indicated the winds were blowing towards them trading it again. He is the first person to mention anything like this in the past few weeks. Until then, most national reporters said the overwhelming belief is that GM Ryan Poles would likely trade Justin Fields and draft his quarterback of choice #1 overall.
It appears a shift might be underway. King was the first to mention the idea of a trade becoming more likely. Now, he’s been joined by another. Peter Schrager of NFL Network has credible sources of his own. He talked about the Bears’ situation on Good Morning Football. One of the first things he said was how the #1 pick had been traded 13 times since 1967. Odd. Then he pushed it a step further by insisting people pump the brakes on this idea the Bears are going to stay at #1 and take a quarterback.
Nobody knows for sure what Poles will do. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has expressed confidence the Bears will take a quarterback. He might be the one to trust in this situation, but it’s hard to ignore the signs. Poles has already demonstrated an ability to manipulate the media, keeping them guessing as to his real intentions. His deception campaign around Jalen Carter last year was a particular masterwork. So nobody should dismiss the possibility he might be working people into looking one direction while he plans to go in another.
This is why the Chicago Bears hold all the attention. Until they make a decision, everybody else can’t start formulating their plans. Poles likely prefers it that way. The more he keeps other teams on the wrong foot, the greater his leverage is. Trading the pick comes with a great degree of risk. Most teams don’t get a chance to draft a QB #1 overall in a span of two decades, let alone twice in a row. Either Poles is confident Fields is on the cusp of a breakthrough, or he’s more interested in stacking the roster with the belief he can find a quarterback without the aid of the #1 pick.
