The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a trade that will send veteran wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, March 5, in their first major move of the 2026 NFL offseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Moore — who signed a four-year, $110 million extension in July 2024 — will now head to the AFC to provide former MVP quarterback Josh Allen with a new No. 1 receiver.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears will receive a 2026 second-round pick from the Bills in exchange for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick, exceeding the mid-round value that many analysts had expected Chicago would receive for him.
“Done deal: The Bills are sending a 2026 second-round pick to the Bears for WR DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick, per sources,” Pelissero wrote Thursday on X. “A pick swap that gives Chicago extra draft ammo and Buffalo a new top receiver.”
Moore had been set to carry the Bears’ largest cap hit in 2026 at $28.5 million. Trading him clears $16.5 million in cap space and leaves the Bears with $12 million in dead cap.
The Bears have now cleared $26.5 million in cap space over the past week. They also gained back $10 million in cap space when Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman informed the team that he would retire from the NFL, voiding a significant portion of his contract.
The 2026 league year will officially begin at 4 p.m. ET next Tuesday, March 11.
DJ Moore Grew Too Expensive for New-Look Bears
Moore had a significant impact for the Bears in the three seasons since he came over from the Carolina Panthers as part of a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He had the best season of his career in Chicago in 2023, catching 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns as Justin Fields‘ trusted No. 1 target.
The reality, however, was that Moore no longer fit into the new-look Bears’ vision under head coach Ben Johnson, who took over as their offensive mastermind last offseason.
While the Bears are less than two years removed from signing Moore to an extension that tied him to the team through 2029, they made some major modifications to their offense when they hired Johnson as head coach in January 2025 and even more in the 2025 draft — when their first two picks added Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.
The result was an offense that spread the ball around much more than in Moore’s past seasons with the Bears, leading to him finishing the season with his fewest receptions (50) and receiving yards (682) and his second-fewest targets (85) in eight seasons.
That’s not to say Moore did not make an impact in 2025. He made some unforgettable plays, most notably his game-winning touchdown catch to beat the Packers in Week 16. He also caught a touchdown in each of the Bears’ two playoff games this past January.
Ultimately, though, Moore became a luxury that the Bears could no longer afford with their top three playmakers — including Rome Odunze — locked up on rookie contracts.
DJ Moore Trade Clears Way for Bears to Spend Bigger
The Bears are giving up a good player in Moore, but the 28-year-old’s departure is objectively great news for a franchise is in the process of realigning its cap spending.
Not only will the Bears gain a premium draft pick in the exchange, but they will also clear up a significant amount of cap space in the cleanest way they could. They could have freed up about $15.5 million in space with a contract restructure, but it would have only kicked money into future years and made Moore harder to move in 2027.
Now, the Bears will get a clean break with Moore and can more confidently invest their money into long-term pieces that suit their current roster build. That might not mean a blockbuster trade for a premier edge rusher — but maybe, right, Maxx Crosby? — but it should allow Chicago to throw its weight around while addressing its biggest needs.
The Bears have major roster needs at left tackle, linebacker and along their defensive line. They also need a new starting center after Dalman retired on them with two years left on the $42 million contract that they handed him in March 2025. With more money in their pockets and their largest cap hit shed, the Bears have opened more possibilities.
Bears Trade DJ Moore: Why It Means Great News for Chicago