What it would take Bears GM Ryan Poles to trade back from No. 1

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has only just arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he’s already the man of the hour armed with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and a veteran playmaker at quarterback who may or may not be available for trade.

“My phone won’t stop ringing,” Poles said Tuesday during a press conference. “…Everyone wants to take the temperature of what’s going on.”

Poles said he hasn’t had any “big time” conversations about moving the No. 1 pick, but he expects it’s going to be a busy Combine as teams inquire about the direction Chicago is leaning.

With a quarterback draft class featuring Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, there are plenty of quarterback-needy teams willing to make a move up to No. 1. But, at the same time, the Bears face a franchise-altering decision at quarterback between sticking with Justin Fields or drafting a rookie.

As for what the Bears would be looking for in a potential trade-back scenario at first overall, Poles indicated it would have to be similar to what they got last year for the top selection.

“It’s hard to say right now, but it has to help our organization significantly,” Poles said. “I want that kind of return.”

In last year’s deal with the Carolina Panthers, Chicago acquired what turned out to be wide receiver DJ Moore, right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, the No. 1 pick this year and a 2025 second-round selection.

The belief is the Bears would get an even bigger haul for the first overall pick given this quarterback class headlined by Williams and Maye. There could even be scenarios where Chicago could trade back multiple times and compile a massive haul.

Poles indicated there’s no set timeline for making a quarterback decision, but he’d like to have a QB1 in place before the start of free agency in a couple of weeks. This week will serve as an opportunity to get to know the top quarterback prospects, as Poles has often noted the importance of not just the player but the person.

“This is an opportunity for us to continue to gather information, learn about the different players in the draft, listen to what opportunities could come up and then at the end of the day, we’re going to make the best decision that we can for the Chicago Bears,” Poles said. “It will not be based on fear of what could happen with this and what could happen with that. We’re going to put our information together and make the best decision because at the end of the day, we’ll always throw our decision-making against our core deal, which is win championships and sustain success for a long period of time. There’s a lot that goes into that, but we’re excited to gather the information and create clarity as we go along.”