At the 2026 NFL Combine, the big topic from the Chicago Bears is that multiple players are going to be up for grabs in trades, including star wide receiver DJ Moore.
Chicago has reportedly talked about trades involving Moore, Tyson Bagent, Tremaine Edmunds, and Gervon Dexter. Moore is the biggest name on the roster, currently on a four-year, $110 million contract with the Bears.
After going over 1,300 yards in 2023, the regression has been real for Moore as he only had 682 yards receiving last season for the Bears. With his production no longer matching what he is paid, Chicago knows they need to move him, and there is a clear reason to do so.
Bears can save a lot of money by trading Moore away
Chicago is currently about $5 million under the salary cap, but even with the extra $22 million in space created by the NFL raising the salary cap, the Bears still have a lot of work to do to create enough space to compete with other NFL teams for top players. The focus will first be on moving guys like Edmunds and Moore, who have a massive hit on the cap.
In 2026, Moore's cap hit is going to be $28.5 million, which is something the Bears don't want to deal with. If they can execute a trade involving him before June 1, they will save $16.5 million against the cap and have a dead cap of $12 million. Releasing Moore is not an option, as they would lose $6 million if they do so before March 13 or $22 million if they do so between March 13 and June 1.
That extra $16.5 million that Moore could create from being traded would be massive for the Bears as they try to target elite edge rushers this offseason and bring back key free agents like safety Kevin Byard. Without this move, the Bears might be stuck in a position to lean more on the draft to fill their needs.
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Moore was such an important piece to this roster from a leadership perspective, and being able to fight off all kinds of injuries to be in a position to play every game during the season. Ultimately, the Bears have to make a business decision and try to create more cap space to bring in great players, and Moore is just a casualty of that potential business move.