The Chicago Bears did what they needed to do on Thursday night.
Their win over the Carolina Panthers gives them a 1-8 record this season, the worst in the NFL.
Since the Bears hold the 2024 first-round pick, Chicago controls the No.
1 overall pick.
Given the situation in Carolina, there’s a realistic chance they won’t win another game.
Even so, the competition for the top spot is still fierce.
Initially, one of the biggest rivals was the Arizona Cardinals.
They also went 1-8 this weekend.
This has changed since then.
The return of quarterback Kyler Murray helped the Cardinals have an excellent comeback against the Atlanta Falcons with a score of 25-23.
That leaves the team at 2-8 on the season, meaning Carolina is the only team in the league with fewer than two wins.
This gives the Bears some much-needed breathing room as the season slowly approaches.
With Murray’s arrival and their remaining schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cardinals win a few more games to completely fall out of contention.
The Chicago Bears will be pleased with this development.
The No.
1 pick in 2024 not only gives them the opportunity to draft two highly-rated quarterback prospects, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, but also allows them to draft elite receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
if they want.
This upcoming class is very strong.
This is a much better year to hold the lead than 2023.
That’s why general manager Ryan Poles deserves all the credit for naming Carolina as his top trade target in April last year.
If this top pick becomes the top pick in the draft, it could lay the foundation for something special in the near future.
Of course, nothing is certain.
Arizona is not the only threat to this place.
They may not even be the biggest anymore.
The New York Giants have been a disaster this season.
Quarterback Daniel Jones tore his ACL.
Their offensive line was broken.
They haven’t scored more than 16 points since week two.
Their best hope for wins going forward will be against the Chiefs, Packers, Patriots and Rams.
Getting even one is important in the race because Carolina seems to be losing just as much as they are.
Barring anything unforeseen, chances are the Chicago Bears will get at least one top-three pick when the dust settles.