Who would’ve thought that a Week 18 game with no playoff implications could be so exciting? Especially with the Bears riding a 10-game losing streak into the 2023 offseason.
Thanks to former Texans head coach Lovie Smith, Chicago had plenty to celebrate in the form of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. With the Bears losing and Houston winning a meaningless game over the Colts, Chicago landed the top selection (along with plenty of leverage).
Despite the popular hot take that the Bears should trade Justin Fields, that’s highly unlikely. Instead, GM Ryan Poles will most likely look to trade down from No. 1 and clean up with a boatload of additional draft capital. And he’ll have no shortage of suitors, as teams are looking for a quarterback.
Not only do the Bears control the NFL draft, they also will have a hold on free agency, as they’re projected to have $118 million in salary cap space (which is far and away the most in the league).
With the Bears wrapping their 2022 season, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) recap the excitement from Week 18, including a shoutout to Lovie Smith and what Chicago should do with the first overall pick on the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast.
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