How a 2023 Gamble Sparked a Chicago Bears Rebuild and Paid Off in 2025
What started as a single blockbuster trade in 2023 has now evolved into a franchise-altering storyline for the Chicago Bears—one that’s officially wrapped up with the 2025 NFL Draft. And spoiler alert: it’s looking like a massive win.
Let’s rewind to March 2023. The Bears were sitting on the golden egg of the NFL Draft—the No. 1 overall pick. While many teams might've been tempted to grab their franchise quarterback right then and there, Chicago made a bold decision: they traded it away to the Carolina Panthers. In exchange? A treasure chest of assets that included multiple picks across three drafts—2023, 2024, and 2025—plus one major piece: wide receiver DJ Moore.
Fast forward to today, and the full scope of that deal is finally visible. And yeah, Bears fans should be pretty thrilled.
🏈 The Final Piece of the Puzzle: Luther Burden
This year’s draft brought the final cherry on top of that now-legendary trade. With the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft—originally acquired in the Panthers deal—the Bears selected wide receiver Luther Burden.
Burden isn’t just another name on the draft board. He’s electric. He’s explosive. And he brings a different flavor to Chicago’s offense—think yards after the catch, shiftiness in open space, and that swagger you want from a playmaker. For a team that has been craving dynamic talent at the skill positions, Burden checks a lot of boxes.
💥 Trade Breakdown: What the Bears Gained
Let’s take a moment and lay it all out. From that single 2023 trade with Carolina, here’s the full haul the Bears ended up with:
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DJ Moore – Star wide receiver and a consistent threat on offense
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Darnell Wright – 2023 1st-round pick, starting right tackle and a beast in the trenches
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Tyrique Stevenson – 2023 2nd-round pick, a promising cornerback
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Caleb Williams – 2024 1st-overall pick, now the face of the franchise at quarterback
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Tory Taylor – 2024 pick, top-tier punter
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Luther Burden – 2025 2nd-round pick (39th overall), dynamic wide receiver
That’s six young, high-upside players, including a potential franchise QB, a top wideout, and several core starters.
“I Think It’s Worked Out For Us”
After selecting Luther Burden in the second round this year, Bears GM Ryan Poles took a moment to reflect on the entire deal. You could hear the satisfaction in his voice.
“Yeah, I feel pretty good,” Poles told reporters. “I think it’s worked out for us.”
That's quite the understatement. While it's easy to look smart in hindsight, this was a strategic gamble—banking on a long-term build rather than a quick fix. It required vision, patience, and guts.
🔍 Meanwhile in Carolina...
Over in Charlotte, the Panthers used that original No. 1 overall pick to select quarterback Bryce Young. He’s shown flashes of brilliance, and the franchise believes he’s their guy. But there’s still plenty of development ahead for him.
Let’s be fair here—Young could absolutely blossom into a star. But when you stack one quarterback against the six players the Bears landed from the same trade, it’s clear the scales are leaning heavily in Chicago’s favor… for now.
The tricky part? These trades don’t have an instant verdict. Time is the only judge. If Young becomes a Pro Bowl regular and leads Carolina to postseason glory, the Panthers could still come out ahead. But if he plateaus, and the Bears’ rookies grow into reliable starters or better? This will go down as one of the greatest fleeces in modern NFL history.
🔧 Building the Foundation: A Timeline of Transformation
Let’s map this thing out real quick:
2023: Starting the Engine
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Traded No. 1 pick for a package including DJ Moore and multiple picks
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Drafted Darnell Wright in Round 1 — quickly becomes a cornerstone at right tackle
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Grabbed Tyrique Stevenson in Round 2 — adds depth and upside to the secondary
2024: Franchise Quarterback Enters the Room
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Used Carolina’s pick (which ended up being No. 1 overall again) to draft Caleb Williams
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Selected Tory Taylor, widely considered the best punter in the draft
2025: Trade Finalized
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Closed the book with Luther Burden, giving Williams another young weapon
This was a methodical build—each draft class filling key holes while adding young, controllable talent. That’s how you rebuild the right way.
📊 What’s Next for the Bears?
With the dust now settled on the Panthers trade, the focus shifts to development and cohesion. Can Caleb Williams live up to the hype and deliver under pressure? Can DJ Moore and Luther Burden become a dangerous receiving duo? Will the young core continue to mature and stay healthy?
If things click, this team has the makings of an NFC contender. That may sound bold, but look at the blueprint—they’ve got the quarterback, they’ve invested in the offensive line, they’re stacking talent on both sides of the ball, and they have strong leadership in the front office.
And let’s not forget—the Bears now have something they haven’t had in decades: real hope.
🧠 Big Takeaways for NFL Fans
If you’re a fan of the NFL at large, this trade is a masterclass in how to rebuild a roster:
1. Patience Pays Off – Chicago didn’t rush to take a QB in 2023. They played the long game, and now they might have something special with Williams.
2. Know Your Windows – Instead of being short-sighted, the Bears’ front office understood when to pivot and accumulate assets.
3. Draft Well, Then Develop – The picks alone don’t matter if they don’t pan out. Chicago has invested in development, and it’s starting to show.
🚨 Final Thoughts: A Franchise Reborn?
So where does this leave us?
The trade that started with one draft pick has resulted in six key players, a potential franchise QB, and a new direction for the Chicago Bears. While it's too early to etch this into stone as a guaranteed “win,” the signs are overwhelmingly positive.
This wasn’t just a trade—it was a turning point.
And if Caleb Williams turns out to be the guy and Burden lives up to his potential, Chicago might look back on that 2023 deal as the moment everything changed.
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