The cost of acquiring Justin Fields in 2021 ...

The Bears' futile search for a franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman retired is legendary. They traded Bobby Layne. The were a coin flip away from Terry Bradshaw. They were all set to take Joe Montana in the third round in 1979 before a late change of heart by general manager Jim Finks led them to Willie McClendon, as the story goes.

And of course, the first-round picks they made were ill-fated. Jim McMahon (1982) went 46-15 as a starter but couldn't stay healthy. Jim Harbaugh (1987), Cade McNown (1999), Rex Grossman (2003), Mitch Trubisky (2017) and Justin Fields (2021) all were ultimately disappointing.

Ryan Pace's pursuit of Fields was doubly frustrating. Trying to recover from an extremely egregious draft mistake in 2017 — when he drafted Trubisky ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson — Pace traded up from No. 20 to No. 11.

That was an absolute sweet spot of that draft. Every pick from No. 4-14 in the 2017 draft has either had his fifth-year option picked up or signed a long-term extension — Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (No. 4), Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (No. 5), Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (No. 6), Lions right tackle Penei Sewell (No. 7), Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (No. 8), Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II (No. 9), Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (No. 10), Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons (No. 12), Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater (No. 13) and even Jets right guard Alija Vera-Tucker (No. 14).

Every one of them except Justin Fields. After showing promise but also developmental flaws, Fields started 38 games in three seasons for the Bears, including phenomenal performances against the Dolphins in 2022 (three touchdowns, 178 rushing yards) and against the Broncos and Commanders in 2023 (four touchdowns in back-to-back games). But his liabilities — and support — failed him and he's on his third team in three seasons after signing a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets to be their starter in 2025.

As it turns out, the Bears not only failed to develop Fields into a franchise quarterback, but traded out of another sweet spot in the 2022 draft. As Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis pointed out, 13 of the top 14 picks in that draft have either had their fifth-year option exercised or signed a long-term contract — from Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker and Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Texans cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner at 1-4 to Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, Saints wide receiver Chris Olave, Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton at 10-14.

The only exception is Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7 — the pick the Giants acquired from the Bears to draft Fields, of course. Neal did not have his fifth-year option picked up and likely will have to win a spot at guard to remain a starter.

We don't know if the Bears would have had the No. 7 pick had they not made the trade. Without Fields in 2021, they could have been better than 6-11 in Matt Nagy's final season, or worse — which would impacted their first-round pick. But if they would have had that No. 7 overall pick and the draft ensued as it did, most Bears fans know who the Bears likely would have picked.

Trading their first-round pick has brought more hope than satisfaction for the Bears. They acquired Jay Cutler and Khalil Mack for first-round picks, but also Mike Phipps and Rick Mirer. In 1999, they traded from No. 7 to No. 12 to get Cade McNown — but only after the Redskins used that No. 7 pick on future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, a player high on the Bears' list.

With those deals and others in mind, here's a look at the Bears' history of trading their first-round pick (parental supervision recommended):