The Carolina Panthers (1-7) and Chicago Bears (2-7) franchises will be linked for a long time after their big trade ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft that saw Chicago send the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for star receiver DJ Moore, the No. 9 overall pick and a second-round pick this year, a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025 so the Panthers could take Bryce Young at the top of the draft. On Thursday night, Bears fans get to see in person if the Chicago front office made the right choice as Carolina visits Solder Field to kick off Week 10 as a 3.5-point underdog on the SportsLine consensus.
Bears GM Ryan Poles has made some major blunders in his relatively short time on the job, including trading a 2022 second-round pick last year for receiver Chase Claypool, a mega-bust who is already long gone. However, Poles has clearly won the Panthers trade so far because Moore has been the true No. 1 receiver the Bears have needed for years. Chicago traded down one spot from No. 9 in this year's draft and took Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, and he has been a good starter at right tackle.
Poles largely made the deal because he wanted to give Justin Fields -- drafted by a previous front office -- one more season to prove whether he was the long-term answer at quarterback. Frankly, it's still unclear as Fields has been both great and terrible at times this season, sometimes in the same game. He hasn't played since Week 6 due to a thumb injury and is not expected to do so Thursday. It will be former Division II superstar and undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent making his fourth start. He's 1-2 so far as a pro. Bagent has been a nice find and could be a good backup in the league.
Should Young become a star for Carolina, the trade will be a win for the franchise no matter how much it gave up. But the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner has struggled so far, and the Panthers might have the indignity of handing Chicago the top overall pick in 2024 as well. If Fields hasn't proven himself by the end of this season, Poles can go get USC QB Caleb Williams, a better-rated prospect than Young was.
If the 2024 NFL Draft was held today -- it starts April 25 in Detroit -- Arizona would pick first and Chicago would go second with the Carolina pick and then third with its own pick. The latest CBS Sports mock draft has the Bears taking North Carolina QB Drake Maye at No. 2 and Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3. This game is more important for 2024 and beyond than it is this season considering the teams have a combined three victories. Playoffs!?! Playoffs!?!
We'll take you through every aspect of the Panthers-Bears game that you need to know before you lock in your bets, including SportsLine expert picks, props, trends, injury information and everything else that will help you know which plays are worth making for the primetime matchup.
Who wins Panthers vs. Bears in the Week 10 Thursday night game, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit HARD? Join SportsLine right now to see everything you need to know about the game in the Thursday night matchup to kick off Week 10 of the 2023 season!!
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