It had felt inevitable for months, and before the new league year officially starts it has happened. The Chicago Bears will be trading wide receiver DJ Moore, and a 2026 fifth-round pick, to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick.
Moore had a down year in terms of production last season. But he was an important piece of the equation, and he's leaving behind a void that goes beyond the stat sheet, and any idea that he and Caleb Williams never really connected on over the last two seasons.
Beyond that, albeit with plenty of time and avenues to figure it out, the Bears now have a bit of a depth concern at wide receiver with Moore out of the picture.
DJ Moore trade turns up the heat on obvious Bears' player
Before the Moore trade news surfaced, on CHSN's "The Big Pro Football Show", David Haugh and Clay Harbor discussed which young Bears' wide receiver's growth was more important to the team's success next season.
"I'm gonna take a trip...I'm gonna go to Rome", Harbor said. "I think Luther Burden...you've kinda already seeing what he can do, how great he is in the slot, outside, get the ball in his hands. I think Rome (Odunze) needs to take the next step. He needs to be that contested catch guy. He needs to come down with some of these 50-50 balls. He needs to do a better job of catching the football. You're a top-10 draft pick, you've gotta start playing like it."
Harbor reinforced his prior assertion that Burden is the better receiver right now, while stating that Odunze reaching his full potential is more important for the Bears moving forward.
Odunze's 2024 rookie season was a disappointing one, rooted in Williams' struggles under the "guidance" of the previous coaching staff. His second season got off to a flying start, with five touchdowns over the first four games, but then a foot injury impacted his effectiveness for several weeks and eventually cost him the final five regular season games.
Reacting to the Moore trade after the news came out, ESPN's Peter Schrager hit the same note about Odunze during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."
"Rome Odunze, it's time to step and be that guy", Schrager said. "We know that they obviously have other offensive, and we like what we saw from Loveland at the end of the season. But now, Rome Odunze becomes, really the guy that you have to focus on and say ok, if this Bears' offense is gonna keep it going, Odunze needs to make that giant leap in Year 3."
It's no secret how huge next season is for Odunze. He'll be eligible for a contract extension next offseason, and at minimum the Bears have a big decision to make about his fifth-year option by on or around, May 1, 2027. If he has a third straight disappointing season, for one reason or another, speculation about his long-term future in Chicago will hit a fever pitch.
All of that has been separate from Moore's status on the Bears' roster, before he was traded, or if he happened not be traded.
Read more: Bears' salary cap update in the wake of trading DJ Moore to the Bills
With Moore gone now, as inevitable as it was he'd be gone, the heat of the spotlight on Odunze has undeniably gone up a notch or two as he heads toward a pivotal third season.