Peter King believes the Bears will trade the No. 1 overall pick

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles talks on the phone as he watches players during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) ORG XMIT: ILNH123

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is upon us as teams will flock to Indianapolis to meet and scout the top players who will be available in the upcoming NFL draft. It’s an important step for teams deciding what to do with their draft picks and it all starts with the Chicago Bears, as they hold the No. 1 selection.

The general consensus up to this point is that, barring a “historic haul,” the Bears are expected to keep the top pick and select a quarterback, therefore moving off of Justin Fields. But one long-time NFL reporter believes they’ll subvert expectations and trade the pick after all.

Peter King of NBC Sports published what is likely his final “Football Morning in America” column on Monday, where he announced his retirement from the industry. King spent much of his column reflecting on his decorated career, but he also shared his thoughts on the near future in the league. One of those pertained to the Bears, as King believes Chicago will move the top overall pick:

I suppose the Bears are going to trade the top pick. I know nothing, but that seems to be the way the wind is blowing. What I say: The Bears could keep Justin Fields (and should), and trade the first pick down once or twice, and build the kind of supporting cast a team needs to contend.

King also shared his hypothetical trade scenarios, but the most notable piece of his information was that the first overall pick might be for sale after all. He prefaces this information by saying he doesn’t know for sure, but says “that seems to be the way the wind is blowing.”

Given there hasn’t been any buzz about the possibility of trading down aside from Mike Florio’s hypothesis that one might still get done, it’s a curious statement to make. Though King may not know for sure, he’s been connected with this Bears regime. He had an exclusive interview with general manager Ryan Poles during last year’s NFL Combine, where it became clear the 2023 No. 1 overall pick was for sale and also with president Kevin Warren last August.

One way or another, a decision on the top pick is coming soon and this week will go a long way in deciding what happens.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Peter King believes the Bears will trade the No. 1 overall pick