Since the Chicago Bears’ season ended, the debate has swirled around DJ Moore.
Moore’s future with the Bears has been in question, not just because of the controversy around Caleb Williams’ final pass of the season (that was, of course, intercepted), but also because Moore carries a heavy caphit of $28 million for the 2026 season.
If Moore was producing like a WR1, $28 million would be a bargain, but unfortunately, Moore’s yardage total dropped below 700 yards this year, and you can make the argument
that next season, Moore could be as low as 4th on the team in targets behind Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, and Rome Odunze.
It’s hard to justify spending $28 million a year for your fourth option, which is probably why Ryan Poles would not commit to Moore being on the team in 2026.
This is what Poles had to say about Moore’s future:
Poles did not say that Moore would be a part of the team, but there was a lot of noncommittal word salad there.
Poles later appeared on ESPN 1000, and Marc Silverman asked him the question directly.
“It’s hard to say right now.”
That’s an eye-opening comment from Poles. He certainly wouldn’t say that about Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland, or Darnell Wright. It certainly casts a shadow on Moore’s future in Chicago.
Cutting Moore isn’t an option. That move would cost the Bears $35 million in dead cap in 2026. Even a post-June 1st move would leave $27 million dead in 2026, with $4 million dead in 2027 and 2028. But if the Bears can trade Moore, that is a move that makes sense.
If the Bears trade Moore, he leaves just $12 million in dead cap this season. If they designate the trade a post-June 1st trade, they can spread that dead money out to $4 million per season over the next three seasons.
But trading DJ Moore may not be easy. Yes, it’s possible he could be part of a package deal to go after a big fish, but the Bears will not get much compensation at all for a WR that would earn $24 million a year for his new team, coming off a season where his overall numbers were very pedestrian. We talked about the difficulties in trading him in this article two weeks ago.
If the Bears can trade Moore, the most sensible landing spot would be a team with a lot of cap space that has a young quarterback who could target him more often. Spots like the Raiders and Titans make sense. I could also see a team like Washington getting a legitimate target next to Terry McLaurin or the Steelers, especially if Aaron Rodgers returns.
The Bears will look to trade Moore, but fans should be prepared that the return will be minimal. The Bears could approach Moore about taking a paycut and restructuring his deal. That might be something he could be interested in doing. If he refuses, he will make his full salary this year, and the Bears will almost certainly cut him after this season, and if he is, in fact, fourth on the team in targets, his contract won’t be anywhere near his current salary.
Moore’s situation over the next few weeks will be fascinating to watch and a critical one for the Bears, who need to create some cap flexibility.
