Legendary NFL columnist Peter King has announced his retirement from full-time writing, but he proposed a wild potential trade involving the Washington Commanders in his final column.
In King’s hypothetical trade, the Chicago Bears would move down seven picks and walk away with a king's ransom of nine picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts, but is it a realistic hypothetical?
“Suppose GM Ryan Poles traded the top pick down one spot to Washington (which would take Caleb Williams), and got the second pick, a second-round pick and a 2025 first-round pick in return,” King writes. “Then suppose Poles traded the second pick to Atlanta at eight, and the Falcons picked one of the other quarterbacks. In return, Chicago gets the eighth pick, Atlanta’s second-round pick, and first- and second-round picks next year.”
If this scenario were to play out, the Bears would hold the No. 8 and No. 9 pick in this year's draft, second-rounders from the Falcons and Commanders, and another three firsts next season with two more seconds.
Five firsts and four seconds is a great way to rebuild a franchise. Regardless of how great Williams could be, this would be a winning trade for Chicago’s franchise as a whole.
Would it be a win for Washington, though?
Simply put, yes. Williams has been compared to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ever since displaying elite quarterback play as a sophomore. Ask anyone in the Chiefs front office if they’d be willing to enhance their trade with the Buffalo Bills from 2017, from two firsts and a third to two firsts and a second. Without hesitation, the answer would be yes.
Quarterback is the most important position on a football team; it’s the position with the highest potential to accelerate a rebuild. Just look at how former No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow took the Cincinnati Bengals from being at the bottom of the league to the Super Bowl in his first fully healthy season.
Trading up for someone who’s considered the best prospect since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning should be something the Commanders don't think twice about.
By all indications, Williams looks like a future NFL superstar. Losing a first-round pick and a second to land him is worth it, even if it delays the overall roster rebuild by a season. His upside is unmatched, and he holds the potential to elevate the franchise and players like Terry McLaurin to unimaginable heights.
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