Chicago Bears: Franchise defining moments of the 2010s

7. Trading Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers

Often times in the NFL, there are win-win trades or win-lose trades. When the Bears traded Greg Olsen back in 2011, it was clear that this was a trade that the Bears clearly lost. Not only was Olsen one of the brightest pieces on the Bears offense but he was also a guy who Jay Cutler’s favorite receiver in the passing game.

Olsen would end up blossoming into one of the NFL’s best tight ends during his time with the Carolina Panthers. In just nine years in Carolina, he’s got nearly 6500 receiving yards and despite being in his mid-30s, he continues to play at a high level and be an asset in the Panthers offense.

Not only did the Bears trade Olsen who was an emerging playmaker, what the Bears would get in return as well was clearly controversial for a player of Olsen’s caliber. The Bears would ship him out for just a 2012 third-round draft pick in return which would later end up being traded to the then-San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins.

The reality is that the Bears could have likely built something on offense with guys like Cutler, Matt Forte, and Olsen however this was a trade that ended up doing more harm than good and will always be one that the Bears should regret.