The 2021 NFL Draft begins Thursday night as the Chicago Bears continue to be involved in potential trade rumors to move up to select a quarterback. Chicago’s main focus this offseason has been fixing the quarterback position, whether it has been trading for a veteran or signing a free agent quarterback. It is important to note that whenever the Chicago Bears have selected a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft, it usually is preceded by a massive draft-day trade.

The Last Three Quarterback Chosen In The First Round Have Been Tied To Trades

Over the last 22 years, the Chicago Bears have used their first-round selection three times to draft a quarterback. The first of the three came in 1999 when then-Bears general manager gambled and drafted quarterback Cade McNown with the 12th overall pick. Selecting McNown wasn’t more so of the gamble than it was Chicago’s trading down five spots when they completed a massive trade with the Washington Redskins. Hatley traded the Bears’ seventh overall pick to Washington in return for Washington’s 12th overall pick, third-round, fourth-round, and fifth-round selection in that year’s draft.

The 1999 NFL Draft was similar to this year’s draft as five quarterbacks were selected in the first round. By trading away the seventh overall selection, the Bears missed out on Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who the Minnesota Vikings selected one spot before the Bears. Chicago drafted McNown, who scouts viewed as being the most NFL-readied quarterback prospect of the group but unfortunately turned out to be busted, being out of the league less than four years later.

Despite missing on the quarterback, Hatley had an excellent draft as the Bears’ draft class yielded two future Pro Bowl players in wide receiver Marty Booker and cornerback Jerry Azumah. The 1999 Draft was influential for the 2001 NFC Central Division team as five starters from that team were selected in that year’s draft.

Four years later, in 2003, general manager Jerry Angelo made another draft-day trade to acquire more draft picks. Following a disappointing four-win 2002 season, The Bears held the fourth overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. Angelo wanted to address multiple needs by trading down to acquire several first-round picks. The Bears found a trade partner in the New York Jets, who sent the 13th and 22nd overall selection to Chicago in return for the fourth overall selection.

#Bears NFL draft memories … 2003. (Tribune file photo) pic.twitter.com/dxUL1lkGts

— Amanda Kaschube (@amandakaschube) May 2, 2014

Following another trade to move back one spot, Angelo would use the 14th selection on Penn State defensive end Michael Haynes to help address pass rush issues. Chicago would then use the 22nd selection to draft quarterback Rex Grossman from Florida. By trading back to garner more draft picks, Angelo missed on potentially drafting quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Kyle Boller. Although not a bust, Grossman failed to have the same success he had during his time at Florida. He would be the Bears’ starting quarterback in Super Bowl 41 against the Colts but lost the game for Chicago after turning the ball over four times in the 29-17 loss.

Fourteen years later, Chicago would make another blockbuster trade on Draft Night when they traded up one spot to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. The move came as a shocking one as no analyst had Chicago linked to Trubisky before the draft. Current Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace traded the team’s third overall selection along with a third-round, fourth-round, and a 2018 third-round in return for the second overall selection. Many initially believed that the Bears had traded up to draft Trubisky for the sole purpose of trading him to acquire multiple picks in return.

Pace had highly coveted Trubisky and viewed him as the best quarterback in a group that included Pro Bowlers Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Despite the Bears’ quarterback being named to the Pro Bowl in 2018, he has failed to grow and play at the same level as Watson and Mahomes. The trade is regarded as the worst move of Pace’s tenure as general manager for the Bears.

Another Trade Will Be Needed If team Wishes To Draft a Quarterback In The First Round This Year

The most talked-about aspect of this year’s NFL Draft is the high level of talent tied to the quarterback group. Five quarterbacks are projected to be drafted in the first round, with three expected to be selected with the first three picks. The Bears need a long-term solution at the quarterback position as veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is a short-term solution signed for just one year. Many believe this is why Pace and the Bears will trade up to acquire a top 10 selection to draft a quarterback.

I’ll also say this- I think the #Bears first real chance to trade up starts at No. 8 with Carolina.

Price would be steep but not nearly as bad as that projected Russell Wilson deal last month & likely wouldn’t cost 3 1sts.

— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) April 26, 2021

Rumors have circulated that the Bears are highly interested in either Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields or Alabama’s Mac Jones. Either one could fall if the other one is selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers. If the Bears do trade up, it will be interesting to see what Pace would part with to get a deal done.

For a Bears’ franchise that is notorious for futile quarterback play, it is interesting to note that a trade is always involved when the team drafts a quarterback in the first round. If by the end of the night on Thursday comes with either Jones or Fields being on the Bears, it will have only happened because of trade to move up.