In 2023, the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears pulled off a trade that sent the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft to the Panthers. In return, the Bears received WR DJ Moore, the No. 9 overall pick, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick.
That 2025 second-round pick ended up being the No. 39 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which the Bears used on Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III. That pick wrapped up one of the most talked-about trades in recent NFL history.
Full 2023 Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers Trade Details
The full details of the trade look like this:
Panthers received:
- 2023 No. 1 overall pick (used to select QB Bryce Young)
Bears received:
- WR DJ Moore
- 2023 No. 9 overall pick (traded back one spot and selected OT Darnell Wright)
- 2023 No. 56 overall pick (CB Tyrique Stevenson)
- 2024 No. 1 overall pick (QB Caleb Williams)
- 2025 No. 39 overall pick (WR Luther Burden III)
Moore was the only player involved in the trade at the time of the trade. As of this writing, in the two seasons he has spent with the Bears, he has combined for 194 receptions for 2,330 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.
The Panthers pulled the trade off to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. Through his first two NFL seasons, he has a win-loss record of 6-22 with 26 passing touchdowns to 19 interceptions. However, his play improved considerably late in the 2024 season, encouraging the Panthers.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears used the picks they acquired from the Panthers on right tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who had been starters in their two years with the team.
Though Stevenson has experienced his fair share of ups and downs as a Bear thus far, Wright looks the part of a building block for Chicago’s offensive line early in his NFL career.
The 2024 first-round pick became the No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft, which the Bears used on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. He went 5-12 as their starter in 2024 amidst a rookie year that saw its fair share of ups and downs. By trading back one spot in 2023, Chicago also acquired a 2024 fourth-round pick, which they used on Iowa punter Tory Taylor.
Finally, the Bears selected All-American wide receiver Luther Burden with the second-round pick they got from the Panthers in the 2025 NFL Draft. The results of his NFL career remain to be seen.
Who Won the Bears-Panthers Trade?
On paper, it feels like Chicago has come away the winner of the Bears-Panthers trade of 2023. That said, things are hardly desolate in Carolina.
As Young continued down the stretch in his 2024 campaign, he showcased improved poise and accuracy. With Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan on Carolina’s offense in 2025, there’s a good chance he continues to grow.
That said, the haul the Bears obtained for trading out of the No. 1 pick has given the team plenty of significant resources to accelerate their rebuild.
Williams is arguably a better quarterback than Young in a vacuum, making the one-to-one swap more favorable for the Bears. Factoring in adding three, potentially four more starters to Chicago’s roster, things look good for general manager Ryan Poles.
However, if Young continues his ascent up the NFL quarterbacking ranks, it’s hardly likely the Panthers will end up complaining.
