One major silver lining behind the Chicago Bears' putrid 2022 season that ended with a 3-14 record is that it put the franchise in a major position of leverage, having won the number one overall pick for the 2023 NFL Draft. And make the most out of their leverage, the Bears indeed did after dealing away their coveted draft selection to the Carolina Panthers.

One reason behind the Panthers' decision to give up tons of valuable assets for the Bears' first overall pick is that they wanted to get a deal done early on before a bidding war elevates prices to an untenable level. Another reason was that the Panthers needed to beat out three other teams in convincing the Bears to agree to a trade, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

In return, the Bears received a plethora of assets from the Panthers, including the ninth and 61st overall picks in the upcoming draft, a first and second-rounder in 2024, and wide receiver D.J. Moore, the player who led the Panthers in terms of receiving yards last season. There has been a raging debate since as to whether the Panthers overpaid to move up the draft or not, but at the very least, they have secured their future at quarterback by putting themselves in a position to, perhaps, draft CJ Stroud or Bryce Young.

It's unclear which other teams were in pursuit of the number one overall selection. But according to Breer, one team that the Bears tried to engage with on a potential deal was the Houston Texans, the team that owned the second overall pick. In addition, the Indianapolis Colts' interest in trading up from the fourth pick has been the league's worst-kept secret, with owner Jim Irsay unabashedly declaring his interest in Bryce Young.

At the end of the day, it was the Panthers that met the Bears' asking price of three first-round picks (DJ Moore's value was equivalent to that of a first-rounder). They had added urgency to acquire an improved pick in the 2023 NFL Draft because the quarterback movement in free agency reduced the Panthers' options. But only time will tell if the Panthers' costly gambit works out.