Bills Acquire DJ Moore in Trade with Bears

The Buffalo Bills acquired veteran wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 second round pick. The Bills will also receive a 2026 fifth round pick in the deal.

What This Means for Chicago

For Chicago, the parting was expected.

The trade clears roughly $16 million in cap space and gives the Bears needed flexibility. The team must prepare for several contract decisions including those of Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, and Kevin Byard.

The team also must address a new hole on the offensive line. That need appeared suddenly when center Drew Dalman retired. Dalman was only 27 years old and had signed a three year $42 million contract with Chicago in 2025. He stepped away after just one season.

The trade also allows Chicago to move forward after Moore voiced frustration with the offense and team in recent seasons.

The Bears will now continue developing their young offensive core.. Wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland should all see a much larger role in the offense moving forward.

What this means for Buffalo

As for Buffalo, there is potential for risk or reward.

Moore, entering his age 29 season, carries a $24.5 million cap hit in 2026. Buffalo also assumes a $15.5 million guarantee for 2027.

However, the Bills have flexibility in how they restructure the deal.

Buffalo can process a full salary conversion upon acquiring Moore. That move would lower his 2026 cap hit to roughly $6.75 million and create about $17.7 million in cap space.

Moore has not surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in either of the last two seasons. In 2025, Moore finished with 50 receptions for under 700 yards. He also had 1.24 yards per route run, which ranked 68th among receivers according to PFF and marked the lowest figure of his career.

Still, Moore is not far removed from elite production.

In 2023, he recorded over 1,300 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns, finishing with 2.31 yards per route run, which ranked inside the top 15 among NFL receivers.

Even with the recent dip in production, Moore still becomes the most proven receiver Buffalo has added since trading Stefon Diggs in 2024.

If Moore can return to even 80 percent of his 2023 form, he would still be a major upgrade for Buffalo’s receiving corps.

A Reunion in Buffalo

It’s not a surprise Buffalo had interest in Moore. Joe Brady, newly hired head coach for the Bills, served as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers during the 2020 and 2021 seasons while Moore was with the organization. During that stretch Moore recorded back to back 1,000 yard seasons, thriving in Brady’s system.

The hope in Buffalo is that reunion can help push the Bills one step closer to a Super Bowl.