Trade predictions are already rolling in about one of the Chicago Bears‘ highest-paid playmakers just days into their first week of the 2026 NFL offseason.
The Bears fell short of one last miracle in the divisional round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, suffering a 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams after putting themselves in a position to win the game during the extra period before a game-sealing interception.
Now, one of the biggest — or, at least, the loudest — questions about how the Bears will handle their offseason is what they plan to do about veteran wide receiver DJ Moore, who finished with career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (628) in 2025.
In the assessment of ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak, the choice is simple: trade Moore to save valuable salary-cap space and give the floor to the other pass-catchers in Chicago.
“Big prediction for the offseason: The Bears will trade wide receiver DJ Moore, as the future of the position seems set with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III,” Solak wrote. “Most of Moore’s money is tied up in salary, not bonuses, which makes it palatable for Chicago to trade him even with four years left on his contract. At 29, he should still be enticing to teams in need of veteran WR play.”
DJ Moore’s Final Play Has Enflamed Trade Rumors
The Bears have logical reasons to consider trading away Moore. As Solak mentioned, Odunze and Burden are likely the future of the position in Chicago, each with at least two more years left on his rookie deal. Moore also has a $28.5 million cap hit in 2026.
One of the biggest things driving the online discourse and trade rumors about Moore, though, is the way in which he finished the season against the Rams in the playoffs.
On what became the Bears’ final offensive play of the season, Caleb Williams tried to hit Moore with a deep pass that, if caught, would have given Chicago possession near the Rams’ 25-yard line. The Bears had only needed a field goal to win the game at the time, as their defense stopped Matthew Stafford and the Rams on their OT-opening drive.
When he threw the ball, though, Williams had anticipated that Moore would flatten off his route. Instead, he continued vertically and ended up behind Rams safety Kamren Curl, who made a play on the ball and picked it off to save the day for Los Angeles.
Williams described it as a case of “miscommunication” between him and Moore when he spoke about it after the game, but some have criticized the veteran wide receiver for what they view as a lack of route-running precision and effort on a season-ending play.
Ultimately, it only matters what the Bears thought of the situation. But if the front office feels that concerns about Moore’s effort are not overblown, it may decide to trade him.
ESPN Not Alone in Predicting Bears Will Trade DJ Moore
Solak might have the juggernaut platform of ESPN to amplify his Moore trade chatter, but he is not the only NFL analyst making the case for the Bears to deal him away.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker also made a case for the Bears to trade Moore before the 2026 season, harping on the disparity between his production and high-end cost.
“Understandably, the Bears may not want to fracture a receiving group that ranked 12th in PFF receiving grade this year,” Locker wrote on January 20. “But with Moore due an inflated $28.5 million against the cap while grading out as Chicago’s fourth-best receiver, that value doesn’t seem to equate. Perhaps the Bears will give the 28-year-old a fresh start elsewhere as they roll with a younger and cheaper room.”
If the Bears explore a trade — and that still seems like a big if in late January — they will also want to make sure they are getting something worthwhile in return for him. They could always shop him on the trade market and settle instead for a contract restructure to lower his cap hit in 2026 if they do not receive offers with acceptable compensation.
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