The Chicago Bears signed D.J. Moore to a four-year, $100 million extension last offseason. However, their recent decisions may lead to him being traded.
The Bears acquired Moore from the Carolina Panthers in the trade that sent the No.1 overall selection to the Panthers. He did not reach 1,000 yards last season after posting a 1,300-yard campaign in 2023. The Bears have spent two top-10 picks on pass catchers in the last two drafts, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland. They also drafted Luther Burden III in the top 50 picks this year.
FanSided's Marcus Mosher believes the Bears could part ways with Moore via a trade to the Dallas Cowboys.
"(Odunze and Loveland) figure to have a big role during the 2025 season, and the expectation is that Burden will be the full-time slot receiver with Odunze on the outside," wrote Mosher. "The Bears also signed a few veteran receivers this offseason, including Devin Duvernay and Olamide Zaccheaus. That means Moore could be an interesting trade target as he might not be a perfect fit in Ben Johnson’s offense. He turned 28 this offseason and wasn’t quite the player they were expecting when they acquired him via trade during the 2023 offseason."
The Bears clearly have high hopes for Odunze after spending a premium pick on him. There were rumors of Moore's displeasure with the Bears' offense last season. If the Bears think Odunze is ready to take the next step and become a No.1 option, they could be willing to part ways with Moore.
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Moore has a $24 million cap hit this season and a $28 million-plus cap hit for the next three seasons. Loveland and Burden's addition to the offense could reduce his role moving forward. Meanwhile, on the Cowboys, he could be the clear No.2 option for CeeDee Lamb.
"Moore is overmatched as a No. 1 receiver, especially if he has to play a majority of his snaps on the outside," wrote Mosher. "But he can be a high-end No. 2 receiver when given the ability to move around the formation. And that’s exactly what Dallas is looking for in a complement to Lamb. A player who can be used in multiple ways and has the size and ability to be dynamic after the catch."
Moore could reap the benefits of Lamb drawing the majority of the attention from opposing defenses. Additionally, the Cowboys have an established quarterback. Unlike Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott is not in the stage of his career where he is trying to learn the NFL.
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