Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has finally broken his silence following the disappointing end to the 2025 NFL season, though his comments did little to shed light on whether he will return to the team for the 2026 campaign.
Moore did not speak with reporters following the Bears’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the 2025 playoffs, during which he had a key “miscommunication” with quarterback Caleb Williams that spoiled their comeback bid.
The 28-year-old veteran wide receiver also ducked the media during the team’s locker-room cleanout and final player availability before breaking for the offseason, which was an uncharacteristic move for someone who has helped lead the locker room since 2023.
Since then, speculation has mounted that Moore may have played his final snap with the Bears in their playoff loss. Not only did he finish with a career-low 682 receiving yards in 2025, but he will also carry a $28.5 million cap charge into the 2026 season.
From Moore’s vantage, though, it seems it is still all love for the Bears — at least, when it comes to his wide receiver teammates and his positional coach, Antwaan Randle El.
“Love,” Moore wrote on X on January 26, reposting an interview of Randle El talking about the criticism Moore has faced with a fingers-crossed emoji. “Love our group.”
Antwaan Randle El Raves About DJ Moore’s Season
Fans and analysts are split in their evaluations of Moore’s season and contributions to the Bears offense in 2025, but Randle El had no such gripes in their first year together.
In a January 26 interview for WGN News with Jarrett Payton, Randle El raved about the level of growth he saw from Moore throughout the 2025 season, going from a player that he felt did not consistently show the “special” in his game to a trusted veteran that the coaching staff felt they could count on in critical moments for the Bears’ offense.
“When you talk about the player DJ Moore on the field, when I turn on the film from last year before we got here as coaches and you turn his film on from Carolina, you say, ‘Man, there is something missing, really,'” Randle El told Payton on Monday. “Like, not that he ain’t still special, but the special doesn’t show up all the time.
“Well, for me, this year, the special was on display in terms of his route-running, in terms of his run after catch, blocking for teammates, in terms of him catching the ball. He had some unbelievable catches this year. And the effort he put in to become a better player in the offseason and as the season went on was great. And what you expect as a coach and what I wanted to see as a coach began to show up.”
Will Bears Trade DJ Moore Away During 2026 Offseason?
Randle El didn’t just praise Moore as a player or a man. He also spoke about how much he contributed as a leader, playing a critical role in helping him mold the receiver room in his image — in terms of culture and expectations — setting the high overall standard.
Even if Ben Johnson and the Bears’ front office agree with Randle El’s assessment of Moore’s season, though, it is still possible they trade him away in the 2026 offseason.
For starters, Moore is discussed as a trade target because of a few key reasons: 1.) he will carry the Bears’ largest cap hit in 2026 without contract changes; 2.) his overall production does not match the overall value of his $110 million contract; 3.) cutting him would cost the Bears more than keeping him, making a trade the only move-on option.
The Bears also have an emergent trio of playmakers in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, all of whom are on rookie contracts through at least 2027. That makes Moore expendable when Chicago has plenty of other needs to address.
Moore will have $15.5 million of his base salary for the 2027 become fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year on March 13. In other words, if the Bears are going to trade him away, they will almost certainly do so before the trigger date.
DJ Moore Breaks Silence After Disappointing End to Bears’ Season