Chapitre 176: A Twist of Fate
It was chaos—pure, unadulterated chaos.
The Chicago Bears' war room descended into complete disarray.
The moment Kansas City traded up, everyone realized the crisis they were facing. If the Chiefs stole their intended cornerstone quarterback, what were they supposed to do?
Sure, there were other quarterbacks in this draft class, but here lay the problem:
This year was already deemed a "weak quarterback draft." After exhaustive scouting, analysis, and debates, the Bears had thoroughly vetted the top prospects, cross-checking them against their system and roster needs. In the end, they had unanimously agreed on their franchise quarterback.
This was Ryan Pace's second year as the Bears' general manager, and he was still considered a rookie. The last thing he wanted was to be the laughingstock of the league like the Cleveland Browns, infamous for one blunder after another. Choosing a franchise quarterback wasn't just a draft decision for Pace—it was the foundation of his vision for rebuilding the team.
Pace was convinced this quarterback was "the one" for Chicago.
But if Kansas City swooped in and snatched him, the Bears wouldn't just lose their draft pick—they'd lose the months of preparation for this offseason rebuild. Scrambling to select another quarterback was not an option.
"Damn it!"
Pace slammed his fist down, pacing back and forth in frustration. "Does anyone know which quarterback Kansas City plans to pick?"
Silence.
No one had an answer.
Finally, someone hesitantly broke the silence, "Kansas City didn't interview any quarterbacks during the rookie training camp. What if they aren't even targeting a quarterback?"
Pace froze, furrowing his brow. "If not a quarterback, then who?"
Dead silence.
A defensive end? A cornerback? A safety? Or… a running back?
Pace racked his brain, reviewing the profiles of every prospect Kansas City might want. His mind flashed through player after player, dismissing each one.
A running back?
Ha! Impossible.
No. He couldn't waver or hesitate like some amateur. With Cutler gone, the Bears were fully committed to rebuilding. This was his golden opportunity to shape a team in his image, and he wasn't about to let it slip away.
He made up his mind. "Get me Brett Veach on the phone."
Pace had made his decision.
"What's going on?"
"What are they doing?"
"Did the Chiefs get so excited they passed out from the adrenaline rush?"
"Trading up and then stalling—what's their game plan?"
"Could they be plotting something big?"
After dropping a bombshell with their trade, the Kansas City Chiefs went radio silent, causing a stir at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
While such delays weren't unheard of, they were certainly rare. The mystery kept everyone on edge, fueling speculation and impatience as the seconds ticked by.
In the museum's draft venue, the front-line staff had no authority to make decisions or break news. All they could do was wait for updates from the war room. The actual deliberations and negotiations were happening far behind the scenes.
But the longer the silence stretched, the more unbearable the tension became. The air grew thick with the smell of anticipation, like the calm before a storm.
Inside the green room, the pressure was even worse.
In truth, it was a pressure cooker, ready to explode at any moment.
No one knew what the Chiefs were planning.
Those who had interacted with the Chiefs during the rookie camp couldn't help but hope—could they be the second pick?
Meanwhile, players who hadn't even spoken with the Chiefs were left guessing. Was there a chance Kansas City might surprise everyone?
Perhaps the only exception was Lance.
Donald glanced over at Lance, who was quietly glued to his phone. "Lance?" he called.
Without looking up, Lance tilted his chin in acknowledgment.
Curious, Donald leaned over to peek at the screen—and nearly lost it.
Plants vs. Zombies?
The green room was on the verge of exploding, and here was Lance casually playing Plants vs. Zombies?
But then Donald thought about it and realized: this was the Lance he knew. The same Lance who displayed nerves of steel in the final moments of the championship game. The earlier glimpses of tension, showing his age as a 21-year-old, had been the exception, not the rule.
As a wave of zombies fell to his defenses, Lance paused the game and looked up at Donald. "What's up?"
Donald had been ready to voice his worries, but he swallowed them back. Instead, he smiled, "Nothing. Just jealous that you're more relaxed than I am. It's not fair."
"Ha." Lance chuckled. "Right now, it's the quarterbacks who should be stressed."
Glancing around, he noticed Watson staring directly at him.
Caught, Watson hesitated, his eyes flickering as if considering retreat. But a second later, he stood his ground, locking eyes with Lance. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes burned with fire, a challenge, and a hint of disdain.
"It's me."
Watson's voice was calm but assertive.
Short and to the point.
Perhaps Watson had lost the Heisman Trophy to Lance, but in the NFL, quarterbacks and running backs weren't even in the same conversation.
Lance smirked, his tone as nonchalant as his posture. "Let's wait and see."
Then—
Rustling sounds broke the silence, a wave of murmurs sweeping through the room.
Finally, Roger Goodell emerged on stage. With just 1:49 left on the clock, he held an envelope in hand, poised to speak.
"The Kansas City Chiefs have completed a trade. The Chicago Bears now hold the second overall pick…"
What?
The entire Philadelphia Museum of Art was stunned. Before anyone could fully process the news, Goodell continued, announcing the Bears' selection.
"With the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select… Mitchell Trubisky, quarterback, North Carolina."
Buzz.
The crowd erupted.
What just happened?
The Chiefs had traded up to the second pick, only to immediately trade it away?
And the Bears—the Bears—chose Trubisky over Watson?
What on earth was going on?
The green room was equally stunned. Trubisky, like Lance, had only played one full season of college football.
Trubisky had redshirted his freshman year, served as a backup in nine games during his sophomore year, and had only started for one full season. Yet somehow, he had beaten out Watson, a two-time Heisman finalist.
A whirlwind of confusion followed. Teams scrambled, all grappling with the same question:
What's wrong with Watson?
Even Watson himself was at a loss. "What… what just happened?"
When the Chiefs traded up, he was almost certain he'd go second overall. Now?
His thoughts were still spinning when Goodell returned to the stage with another envelope. Could this mean… another trade?
"With the third pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select… Lance, running back, Alabama."
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