Another huge trade has shaken up the NFL. The Buffalo Bills have landed their new WR1 in DJ Moore, sending a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round selection. Much like the Trent McDuffie trade earlier this week, this feels like a move that actually makes sense for both teams.
For the Bills, they were desperate for a WR1. Josh Allen needs a solid, reliable top wideout. And now they have one. A second-round pick might seem steep, but I actually think DJ Moore is an often overlooked and underrated WR. We’re talking about a guy who has four 1,000 yard receiving seasons, including three straight seasons from 2019 – 2021 in Carolina. His QBs for those three straight 1,000+ yard seasons in Carolina? A mix of Kyle Allen, Cam Newton, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, and Sam Darnold. So it’s not like he had a consistent QB who he had a great connection with. He accomplished that with a variety of QBs. He also barely missed 1,000 yards in 2024 (966), and turns just 29 in April. Leaving a few solid seasons left in his career, at least.
Not only will Josh Allen like having DJ Moore in the building, but this is also a reunion with Joe Brady for Moore. Joe Brady was the Offensive Coordinator when DJ Moore was in Carolina for 2020 and most of 2021. As mentioned, those are two of the four seasons Moore has had at least 1,000 receiving yards. Joe Brady has seen first hand what DJ Moore can do, and he has to be excited to have him back. And not only have him back, but to have him back with Josh Allen as the QB. In fact, DJ Moore’s 18.1 yards per catch in 2020 were a career high under Joe Brady. And we all know Josh Allen has a cannon for an arm. I really like this duo, and WR was such an obvious need for the Bills.
For the Bears, they are quite the opposite of Buffalo in terms of pass catchers on the roster. They have several talented young pass catchers including Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland. It was also apparent Odunze was starting to become Caleb Williams’ go to guy, not Moore. Odunze had 90 targets in 2025 in just 12 games played. DJ Moore played all 17 games and had just 85 targets. A gap that would have been even more significant had Odunze played all 17 games like Moore. Even Colston Loveland had 82 targets in what was his rookie season in just 16 games played. Given DJ Moore’s salary of $23.5 million in 2026 and 2027, it didn’t make sense to keep those cap hits when you have these other talented ascending pass catchers. This will help free some cap space for the Bears now. Not only did you shed the cap and allow these young receiving options to have more opportunities, but a second round pick is a great return too. Especially given it seemed pretty widely known the Bears would be moving on from Moore. Typically when that happens, you may lose some leverage and not get the full return you deserve in a trade. But I think a second round pick was still a solid get, albeit needing to send a fifth to the Bills as part of this deal.
Fanbases of both teams should walk away pretty happy here. The Bills are trying to win a Super Bowl, and getting Josh Allen a WR such as DJ Moore will certainly help that cause. They were desperate for a WR1, and have now filled that role. For the Bears, they are building toward contention but already have several talented receiving threats. It made sense to shed Moore’s salary, get a solid pick in return, and open up more opportunities for the young playmakers they currently have.
Do you think this was a good deal for both sides? Or is this a big risk for the Bills?
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