Peter King turned a lot of heads on Monday when he revealed there was legitimate buzz that the Chicago Bears were considering the idea of trading the #1 pick again. This came in the wake of several top insiders expressing the belief around the league that GM Ryan Poles planned to stay put and take Caleb Williams. Now right before the scouting combine, when rumors start getting serious, this pops up. Not only that, but the rumor involved a team that many felt would be one of the biggest pursuers of that pick.
Now, another notable name has chimed in. Bears fans who have been around long enough know the name Jeff Hughes. He runs Da Bears Blog and has proven multiple times to have credible sources around the league. Up until recently, he’s said the overwhelming belief around the league was the Bears aimed to take Williams. However, that took a dramatic shift on Tuesday when he posted on Twitter (X) that the Washington Commanders had significantly elevated their efforts to trade for that #1 pick.
Washington turned heads when they managed to hire offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to the organization after he almost signed with Las Vegas. That was the first indication the Commanders might be preparing a pursuit of Williams. He and Kingsbury have a relationship for their time together at USC. There is also the fact Williams is a native of the D.C. area. Bringing him home to help revitalize the franchise would make for a great story that would draw in fans. The question was whether Washington would be willing to pay the hefty price to get him.
Normally, a trade from #2 to #1 would probably cost a couple of 2nd round picks. However, most agree Williams is a unique enough prospect that such a move will likely cost Washington a future 1st rounder. King stated it would take one of their 2nds this year and their 1st in 2025. That kind of haul for dropping one spot is exceedingly rare. One can understand why Poles might consider it. He’d still be in a great spot to pick another top quarterback or, as King pointed out, trade down with another QB-desperate team for yet more draft capital.
