3 options for the Bears with the #1 overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft

After the events that unfolded in Week 17, the Chicago Bears have solidified the #1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And in just about a week, one of the most interesting offseasons across the entire NFL will begin. Especially coming off of a convincing performance in Week 17, Justin Fields's future with the Bears is more cloudy than ever. This will be the second consecutive year the Bears have had the 1st overall pick in the draft and multiple blue-chip quarterback prospects staring them in the face.

How does Chicago maneuver this situation? What will General Manager Ryan Pace do? Will Matt Eberflus make it another year? Well, first things first, it does appear that Eberflus will be back, at least according to some recent reports.

The biggest question right now is whether or not the Chicago Bears will keep Justin Fields as their QB1. He's given them a lot to think about over the last six weeks and at various times throughout this whole season. To state the very obvious, I think Chicago has three clear options now that they've solidified the 1st overall pick, all of which make sense to a certain degree.

1. Take the next franchise QB

If you want to look back at the 2023 NFL Draft, you might consider it a colossal failure on the part of the Chicago Bears. Having DJ Moore is nice, but did the Bears mess up big time by not just staying put and drafting CJ Stroud?

Hindsight is always 20/20, so it's tough to say that the Bears made the wrong call moving out of that top spot. If you don't like a guy at QB, you don't like a guy at QB. The Bears clearly didn't think Stroud was going to play as well as we've seen in 2023, but that could cause them to really take this process slowly in 2024.

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and even Jayden Daniels are going to be staring them right in the face.

2. Make another blockbuster trade

There are absolutely going to be teams hoping the Bears have been sold on Justin Fields in recent weeks. Teams needing a new QB1 next season will be calling the Bears and hoping they're willing to take a blockbuster offer to get that 1st overall selection.

The Bears could continue to add key players and future NFL Draft capital with another move off the 1st overall pick, but they also run the risk of passing on potential franchise QBs in consecutive years.

3. Give Justin Fields the gift of Marvin Harrison Jr.

I think this is really the third and final option for the Bears. I think if they are sold on Justin Fields, they have to seriously consider declining all trade offers for the 1st overall pick and use it on Marvin Harrison Jr., the best non-QB prospect (and maybe the best prospect, in general) in the 2024 class.

If you're set on not taking a quarterback with that pick, you could go into the 2024 season with a duo of DJ Moore and Marvin Harrison Jr. to build around.