What would a Russell Wilson trade have done to the Chicago Bears?

The 2021 NFL offseason was a bad time to be a fan of the Chicago Bears. Mitch Trubisky had proven that he was not the franchise quarterback, and Matt Nagy seemed to be all out of tricks. The team was not good enough to win a playoff game but also not bad enough to select a game-changing player in the upcoming draft.

We all know what eventually happened, but it’s easy to forget about the blockbuster trade that almost was. Then-GM Ryan Pace had made an aggressive offer to Seattle for Russell Wilson, who was coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl season in which he posted numbers never seen in Chicago: 4,212 yards, 40 touchdowns, and a 105.1 passer rating.

The trade package allegedly offered included three first-round draft picks, a third-rounder, and two starters. Who those two starters were was never confirmed, but most believed at least one of them would have been a defensive star such as Khalil Mack or Akiem Hicks.

The #Bears allegedly offered a STRONG package (3 1st rounders, a 3rd rounder, & 2 starters) for a Russell Wilson trade..

The #Seahawks slept on it & ultimately decided not to do it..

Let’s dig a little deeper here #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/vG1Cla5y3Z

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 17, 2021

Looking back, it’s easy to see that this trade would have crippled the Chicago Bears. Though it’s not entirely his fault, Wilson has fallen off hard since leaving Seattle two years ago. He likely would not have been anything like his Super Bowl form if he played for Matt Nagy and the Bears. It would have been the Jay Cutler trade all over again: a decent quarterback acquired for far too much.

And then there’s the loss of picks. Through trades since 2021, it’s impossible to precisely lay out what the differences would have been, but the Bears would likely not have Teven Jenkins, and, most importantly, they would not have had the 2023 first-round pick that ultimately turned into Darnell Wright, DJ Moore, Caleb Williams, and one more future second-rounder.

The Bears would still be mired in mediocrity with Russell Wilson.

If this trade had gone through, the Bears would have been better in the short term. They might have returned to the playoffs in 2021 and even won a game. But that’s the absolute best-case scenario for just one season. Pace and Nagy would likely have saved their jobs and might still be in charge of the franchise.

That would mean an extended purgatory for the NFL’s flagship franchise. It’s fair to speculate that by now, they’d be back on the quarterback carousel, hoping that the fourth or fifth-best quarterback from the 2024 draft would be the next Tom Brady or once again turning to a blockbuster trade for a veteran and losing even more assets.

One thing’s for sure: the Bears would not be nearly as exciting as they are right now. He still has to succeed on the field, but drafting Caleb Williams has infused this fanbase with more legitimate hope than it’s had in decades. The Justin Fields draft selection made the city hysterical, but many critics were still “meh.” This time, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the national media who doesn’t believe the Bears have finally found their franchise quarterback.

So, from the entire Chicago Bears fanbase, here is a hearty “thank you” to Pete Carroll for shutting down the Russell Wilson trade. Success in the Caleb Williams era, if there is any, will be at least partly attributable to you.

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