What's brewing in Philly with A.J. Brown could have large implications for DJ Moore

Chicago Bears fans are starting to see a lot of rumors about players on the team as potential trade assets, including wide receiver DJ Moore.

Moore's contract is a determining factor in the Bears' decision to trade him away to save $16.5 million in 2026, but where he lands might take a bit to figure out. The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer wrote a collaborative article detailing how Bears fans should monitor developments in Philadelphia with the Eagles and star wide receiver A.J. Brown's trade talks.

"Within the team, there seems to be a sense that Moore will be back. But no one could rule out the possibility of him playing elsewhere if a good deal materializes. To that end, Moore’s $28.5 million salary-cap hit for next season is a factor. Any interested suitor would likely be pursuing a trade with the hope that Moore could be an asset for at least two seasons.

Some anticipate significant outside interest in the veteran receiver, estimating that a fourth-round pick or a conditional third could be more than enough to satisfy the Bears, particularly once A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia becomes clearer. Said one source: 'If you’re in the A.J. Brown market and Philly moves him but you’re a team that loses out, DJ feels like a pretty comfortable fallback.'"

DJ Moore might be backup plan to A.J. Brown in a trade

The latest in Philadelphia is that the Eagles want a first-round pick and a top-100 pick to acquire Brown. That has been a trade proposal that many teams are balking at, so it might make a trade for Moore much easier for them.

Moore is still a very good wide receiver, coming off the worst season of his career, with 682 yards and six touchdowns. This is a massive drop-off from the over 1,300 yards he had in his first season in Chicago back in 2023.

It's less about Moore's production on the field than it is about Bears quarterback Caleb Williams being big on spreading the ball around, with four players on the team going for over 600 receiving yards on the season. Moore has been a great leader in Chicago, as he demonstrated last season, despite multiple injuries throughout the year, never missing a game.

The reality is that Luther Burden exploded in his rookie season late in the year, and the Bears still have Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Cole Kmet on the roster as well. There are plenty of weapons on the team, and they are cheaper than Moore.

Brown will be the biggest domino to drop in the offseason for wide receiver, so wherever he doesn't go, those teams interested in him will be calling the Bears to see if they can acquire Moore as a solid backup plan.