Coaches and players on the Giants and the Bears obviously will play each other Sunday with the goal of winning the game. That never is in question, nor should it be.
But winning or losing in Chicago this week will directly impact the Giants’ draft status following their fifth straight season with at least 10 losses. They control their own first-round selection and that of the Bears, who traded their 2022 No. 1 pick on draft day to the Giants to select quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11.
The Giants later grabbed wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the 20th overall pick, which also was acquired from Chicago.
Fields has been listed as questionable but will not start Sunday, with veteran Andy Dalton getting the nod, Chicago coach Matt Nagy announced Friday.
The Giants (4-11) currently own the fifth pick in the 2022 draft, with their final regular-season game to be played against Washington next Sunday.
The Bears, who improved to 5-10 with a comeback win last week over Seattle, will conclude their season next week at Minnesota (7-8). Their first-round pick currently is listed as No. 8 overall, with sliding Washington (ninth) the lone 6-9 team after dropping each of its last three games.
Two wins by the Bears to close their season might drop their pick outside the top 10 (at 7-10), but the Giants would cement a top-five choice — and possibly jump into the first three slots — should they lose their final two contests to finish 4-13.
The Texans (with games remaining against the 49ers and Titans) and the Jets (Buccaneers, Bills) also currently are sitting at 4-11. The Panthers and Seahawks — who traded their pick to the Jets in the Jamal Adams deal — are 5-10. Carolina has road games remaining at New Orleans and Tampa Bay, while Seattle will face Detroit at home and playoff-bound Arizona on the road.
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