NFL Rumors: Bears Would Need 'Historic' Trade Offer to Deal 2024 No. 1 Draft Pick

If you're an NFL team that wants to get the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, be prepared to pay a significant price to the Chicago Bears.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bears will demand a "historic haul of draft picks and overall compensation" to give up the top pick.

In the common draft era dating back to 1967, the No. 1 pick has been traded 13 times. It most recently happened last year when the Bears sent the top choice to the Carolina Panthers for a package that included wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 and 61 picks in 2023, a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-round pick.

The 2024 first-rounder turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick because the Panthers finished this season with a 2-15 record. It can be argued that was a historic haul, even though we won't know the full return for it until next year's draft.

Moore gave the Bears the No. 1 receiver they desperately needed. He finished this season with 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.

Every year teams talk about being willing to move off the top pick in the draft, even if there's a potential franchise quarterback in the class. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was trying to pump up Ryan Tannehill in 2012 before his team ultimately selected Andrew Luck.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were open to making a trade in 2021 before they drafted Trevor Lawrence. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye seem like the top contenders to be selected No. 1 overall this year.

Things are a little bit different for the Bears because, unlike those previous teams, one option available to them is sticking with their current quarterback.

Justin Fields has shown a lot of promise, particularly over the past two seasons. He's thrown for 4,804 yards with 33 touchdowns and a 60.9 completion percentage in 28 games since the start of the 2022 campaign. He's also racked up 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground during that span.

If there's a package of picks and players the Bears can acquire in a trade that allows them to surround Fields with more high-end talent, it could be worth it for them to consider such a move.

But the fact the Bears are already putting out the need for a "historic" return to move the No. 1 pick would strongly suggest they are going to select a quarterback and trade Fields.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin reported on Jan. 2 that an informal poll of NFL evaluators came to a consensus that Chicago could land a second- or third-round draft pick by trading Fields.