Will the Bears-Panthers Trade affect the Arizona Cardinals?

The Arizona Cardinals could be the next team to trade down following a blockbuster trade between the Bears and the Panthers.

In case you missed it, the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers pulled off a blockbuster deal, which involved the following assets:

Carolina Receives: 1st overall pick

Chicago Receives: 9th, 61st, 2024 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, D.J. Moore

The Panthers are one of several quarterback-needy teams to pick in the top ten, and now it was clear that they wanted more so they could presumably land the quarterback of their choice. With the Houston Texans still looking like a team in play to draft a quarterback, it means the Arizona Cardinals could be the next organizations those looking to land one of the three marquee prospects at the position will try to strike a deal with. 

Will the Arizona Cardinals trade out of the third spot?

The Panthers will draft either Anthony Richardson, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Will Levis. Unless Houston lands a player they believe could be a full-time starter in free agency, expect them to take one of the three remaining prospects. 

Further, the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders are three other teams who are or might be searching for a quarterback. And they could give up a ransom for the rights to draft one of the final two quarterbacks remaining of those outlined above. 

If Indy, Baltimore (assuming Lamar Jackson signs elsewhere) or Vegas covet the same prospect, then general manager Monti Ossenfort shouldn’t hesitate to make a deal here. We just saw Chicago land enough pieces to potentially catapult their franchise light years ahead of what they were in 2022, and the Cards could land almost as good of an offer, especially if Vegas makes the trade. 

Overall, as Cardinals fans, let’s hope Indy, Baltimore and Vegas enter a race for the last two prospects. As it stands right now, I would peg Anthony Richardson to the Panthers, Bryce Young to the Texans, and both Will Levis and C.J. Stroud would be in play for the third overall pick. 

Given the fact that there could be as many as five quarterback-needy teams in next month’s draft with only four prospects likely to go in the first round, it’s likely the Arizona Cardinals will land a ransom. And hey, why not throw DeAndre Hopkins into that trade and really make things click?

Source: Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Panthers for haul that includes WR DJ Moore, sources say by Courtney Cronin and David Newton, ESPN.com.