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Back in 2023, the Chicago Bears held the rights to the No. 1 overall pick and, just weeks before the NFL draft, general manager Ryan Poles struck a deal with the Carolina Panthers that would net them several of their top young players for the next two seasons.
On Friday night, during the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, that blockbuster trade was complete with the Bears using their final asset in the deal, a second round pick that was used to select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III at 39th overall.
With the dust settled on the full trade now, we're taking a look back at the 2023 trade that sent quarterback Bryce Young to the Carolina Panthers and changed the trajectory of the Bears franchise for the foreseeable future. Plus, who truly won the trade?
The beginning of Bryce Young's career was an up-and-down roller coaster. While he got the start in Week 1 of his rookie season in 2023, Young battled inconsistent play and an early injury, but he was able to get plenty of experience on the job for a lowly Panthers team. Young finished his rookie year throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as Carolina finished 2-14 on the year. The team's bad season would lead to the Bears getting the No. 1 overall pick, which would then be turned into quarterback Caleb Williams. During Young's second season, he was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton after an 0-2 start. But he got another chance when Dalton was sidelined by an injury in Week 8, and Young experienced a late resurgence, where he showcased the potential to develop into a franchise quarterback for the Panthers.
It's hard to pinpoint just one player as the star of this return, as the top three, Williams, Moore, and Wright are the foundational pieces in which the Bears are building the future of the franchise on. The team has shown a full commitment to Williams this offseason by hiring Ben Johnson as his new head coach, and then making several acquisitions to the offensive line this offseason. The team will go as far as Johnson and Williams will take them, so building around the young quarterback was imperative.
DJ Moore is the headlining superstar of the offense as the top target for Williams, and one of the most dangerous wide receiver weapons in the NFL. For his play, Darnell Wright has been praised at the right tackle position and has cemented himself as an undoubted force on the offensive line. Stevenson, Taylor, and Burden all still have plenty of time to grow in their careers, Burden being a rookie this upcoming season.
With three unquestioned center pieces and three more very talented players in the return, the Chicago Bears struck one of the biggest deals in recent NFL history. Young seems to have figured it out in his second season with Carolina after being benched early on, but now he's shown to be the unquestioned leader of the team. The only way to know the true win value of the trade is to see where Williams, Moore, Wright, and the other three players take this team, and if they get the Bears back to being a winning football franchise.
It’s hard to truly put together a fair value on a trade that sees one franchise get six players while the other gets just one, so to be blunt about it, the Chicago Bears have won the trade with the Panthers. Yes, the Panthers seem to have the right guy in place at quarterback with Bryce Young, but the Bears came away with three centerpieces, all of whom are even more important with the hiring of head coach Ben Johnson this offseason. Stevenson, Taylor, and Burden can all have big impacts in their own right, but the trio of Williams, Moore, and Wright will not only be the foundation of the Bears offense, but for the future success of this team as well.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears-Panthers 2023 blockbuster trade is finally complete: Who won?
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On Friday night, during the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, that blockbuster trade was complete with the Bears using their final asset in the deal, a second round pick that was used to select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III at 39th overall.
With the dust settled on the full trade now, we're taking a look back at the 2023 trade that sent quarterback Bryce Young to the Carolina Panthers and changed the trajectory of the Bears franchise for the foreseeable future. Plus, who truly won the trade?
Carolina Panthers received: QB Bryce Young
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The beginning of Bryce Young's career was an up-and-down roller coaster. While he got the start in Week 1 of his rookie season in 2023, Young battled inconsistent play and an early injury, but he was able to get plenty of experience on the job for a lowly Panthers team. Young finished his rookie year throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as Carolina finished 2-14 on the year. The team's bad season would lead to the Bears getting the No. 1 overall pick, which would then be turned into quarterback Caleb Williams. During Young's second season, he was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton after an 0-2 start. But he got another chance when Dalton was sidelined by an injury in Week 8, and Young experienced a late resurgence, where he showcased the potential to develop into a franchise quarterback for the Panthers.
Chicago Bears received: QB Caleb Williams, WR DJ Moore, OT Darnell Wright, CB Tyrique Stevenson, P Tory Taylor, WR Luther Burden III
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It's hard to pinpoint just one player as the star of this return, as the top three, Williams, Moore, and Wright are the foundational pieces in which the Bears are building the future of the franchise on. The team has shown a full commitment to Williams this offseason by hiring Ben Johnson as his new head coach, and then making several acquisitions to the offensive line this offseason. The team will go as far as Johnson and Williams will take them, so building around the young quarterback was imperative.
DJ Moore is the headlining superstar of the offense as the top target for Williams, and one of the most dangerous wide receiver weapons in the NFL. For his play, Darnell Wright has been praised at the right tackle position and has cemented himself as an undoubted force on the offensive line. Stevenson, Taylor, and Burden all still have plenty of time to grow in their careers, Burden being a rookie this upcoming season.
With three unquestioned center pieces and three more very talented players in the return, the Chicago Bears struck one of the biggest deals in recent NFL history. Young seems to have figured it out in his second season with Carolina after being benched early on, but now he's shown to be the unquestioned leader of the team. The only way to know the true win value of the trade is to see where Williams, Moore, Wright, and the other three players take this team, and if they get the Bears back to being a winning football franchise.
Who won the trade?
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It’s hard to truly put together a fair value on a trade that sees one franchise get six players while the other gets just one, so to be blunt about it, the Chicago Bears have won the trade with the Panthers. Yes, the Panthers seem to have the right guy in place at quarterback with Bryce Young, but the Bears came away with three centerpieces, all of whom are even more important with the hiring of head coach Ben Johnson this offseason. Stevenson, Taylor, and Burden can all have big impacts in their own right, but the trio of Williams, Moore, and Wright will not only be the foundation of the Bears offense, but for the future success of this team as well.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears-Panthers 2023 blockbuster trade is finally complete: Who won?
Continue reading...
