In terms of trade buzz, it’s been a little quiet so far in 2026. There have been a few big names bandied about like Raiders DE Maxx Crosby and Eagles WR A.J. Brown, but the buzz there seems to have cooled off from the end of the season. The NFL Combine this week is an opportunity for more chum to hit the water, though, and one name I have my eyes on is Bears WR D.J. Moore. 

Wide receiver has become a premium position in the last several years as teams have worked hard to build strong supporting environments around their quarterbacks. There’s a solid track record of good results in trades for receivers, though like any roster-building tactic, it’s not 100 percent. Teams with young quarterbacks, especially, have had success by adding proven pass catchers to make life easier on their developing signal caller. 

If the Bears made Moore available this offseason, they would absolutely have a market for the veteran. But why would Chicago, which has a developing young quarterback itself in Caleb Williams, want to trade Moore? 

There are a few reasons, actually. 

Why Trading Moore Makes Sense For The Bears

Moore arrived in Chicago as a part of a blockbuster deal in 2023 that saw the Bears send the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a haul, including the pick that would ultimately become the No. 1 selection the following year and was used to select Williams. In his first year, Moore thrived despite the overall poor offensive environment he was dropped into. He led the team with 96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns — all career bests for him at that point. Despite this, the Bears were 27th in passing offense and fired OC Luke Getsy after the season. 

The Bears and GM Ryan Poles signed Moore to an extension ahead of the 2024 season when he still had two years left on a three-year, $60 million contract he had inked with Carolina before the trade. They didn’t have to but it was a clear priority for Poles for whatever reason, maybe to send a message about how the front office planned to reward performance or to get ahead of the receiver market. Moore got a raise to four years and $110 million, with a remarkable $66 million in guarantees. 

Unfortunately, Moore hasn’t been able to replicate that first-year production. The offense sank to a new low in 2024 and dragged Moore down with it. He had more targets and catches but his yards per catch sank precipitously and he didn’t crack 1,000 yards, though he did score six touchdowns. His production worsened even more with new HC Ben Johnson despite the offense’s surge. Moore finished 2025 with 50 catches, 682 yards and six touchdowns, though he did add 15 carries for 79 yards and another touchdown. He played all 17 games. 

There have been other issues with Moore, starting in 2024 when his effort came under fire during a miserable year that saw HC Matt Eberflus fired after Thanksgiving. Obviously those circumstances and Moore’s frustration played a role there, but it also continued a theme that’s been an undercurrent throughout his whole professional career. Moore’s effort and attention to detail — two things that are non-negotiables for Johnson — have waned at times. Sometimes it’s been in big moments, like the game-ending interception in the divisional round loss to the Rams in January when Moore appeared to cut short a route. 

And here’s where Moore’s contract becomes relevant again. On the terms of the deal Poles gave him in 2024, his 2026 base salary of $23.485 million is fully guaranteed. Additionally, $15.5 million of his 2027 base salary, which is the same as this year, becomes guaranteed on March 15. Essentially, the Bears are making a two-year commitment to Moore if they keep him this year, and cutting him to avoid that would be painful. 

However, if the Bears were to trade Moore, his new team would be responsible for the $49 million and $39 million guaranteed he’s owed over the next two years. That’s significant savings for a team that as of February 25th was over the salary cap. And while Moore might nominally be the co-No. 1 receiver alongside Rome Odunze, practically speaking by the end of last year he was more like the No. 3 with the emergence of Luther Burden. If TE Colston Loveland is factored in, Moore was the fourth priority in the passing game. Spending $24 million on that role is not great resource allocation. 

Put it all together — the declining production, the questionable fit with Johnson’s program, Moore’s age (29 in April) and the significant salary savings — and it seems like a recipe for a trade. The Bears’ brass doesn’t seem particularly eager to rush him out the door, but if you read between the lines, they’re not closed off to the possibility either. 

“We want him here. We think highly of him,” Poles said on Tuesday at the Combine. “But this is the time now where we have to look at all the scenarios that will allow us to put the best team out there…he’s a guy we want here but we have to look at all the scenarios.”

Poles is probably being genuine about his affinity for Moore, he did give him a very player-friendly contract after all. However, he’s also working to maintain leverage in any potential trade. Moore’s salary represents a real weight for a new team to take on, and other teams will have the same concerns about his age and declining production. If the Bears seem desperate to get rid of Moore, it will impact the quality of the offers they get. 

What Is Moore’s Trade Market? 

Moore’s track record is established enough that if the Bears are willing to trade him, there should be interest. Despite his age, his production issues last season seemed to be the result of a lack of opportunity, not any physical decline. In the two playoff games, he had 11 catches, 116 yards and two touchdowns. Teams looking for a proven veteran to operate as a No. 2 should still find Moore appealing. 

The salary will be a weight on Moore’s trade value, there’s no way of getting around that. It will cause some teams to rule themselves out entirely as trade partners. However, there are several teams flush with cap space that need to rebuild their offense. Moore will be more appealing for that group, especially because his salary will depress the value of the draft pick they have to give up to the Bears in return. 

There’s an established precedent when it comes to a trade return for proven veteran players making around $20 million per year. The Bears gave up a fourth-round pick to the Chiefs for G Joe Thuney last year, inheriting the last year of his deal that had $16 million remaining. The prior year, they traded a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for WR Keenan Allen when he had one year and $20 million remaining. Another example that comes to mind is the Cowboys trading WR Amari Cooper for a fifth when he was due $20 million in 2022. 

I would expect the bidding for Moore to end up in that same neighborhood, probably more toward the bottom of the range given his age and the two-year financial commitment. I think in a dream scenario, Poles would push for a third-round pick, and might be willing to hold on a little while to try and flush out a buyer. Given the depth the Bears have on offense, though, plus the depth of this draft class, a fourth or a fifth while clearing all of that money would be a strong return. 

Potential Landing Spots

To recap, any team that’s interested in trading for Moore has to tick off the following boxes: 

• Enough budget to take on $49 million over the next two seasons, including $39 million guaranteed. 
• A need at wide receiver
• A mid-round selection

Past familiarity with Moore is also a bonus that could help a deal come together, with coaches or front office executives who are fans of his game and confident in how he fits their system more likely to lobby for a deal. 

Four teams stand out:

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders will be working to build around Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the eventual No. 1 pick, and there’s a lot of work to do on offense. Las Vegas has TE Brock Bowers and RB Ashton Jeanty, but almost nothing else at the skill positions. It would not be shocking to see the Raiders make multiple additions to their wideout room this offseason, double-dipping with a veteran and a draft pick. 

One advantage the Raiders have is a projected $77 million windfall in cap space, second-most in the NFL. They’ll be active in free agency but it’s somewhat rare for quality wideouts to make it to the open market. However, if the Raiders use that cap space to take on other contracts via trades, it’s just as effective. Moore’s contract would be an easy lift for a team that does not have many notable veterans on the books right now. 

Trading picks isn’t ideal for a rebuilding team, but the Raiders have some flexibility with 10 total selections right now, including three in the fourth round. With the hit rate being what it is for rookies, especially on Day 3, it’s not a bad idea to diversify. There’s also a concerning recent trend of No. 1 picks floundering as rookies due to a poor supporting cast, so adding Moore would help the Raiders create more stability and a competitive floor for the offense. It wouldn’t just be a one-year rental, either. Two years are guaranteed but Moore remains under contract for four seasons. 

As a versatile playmaker who’s great with the ball in his hands, Moore would be a strong fit for new HC Klint Kubiak’s scheme — a Shanahan-style offense that leans on tight alignments and making everything look the same pre-snap. Raiders OC Andrew Janocko also overlapped with Moore in Chicago during his first and best year, giving both sides some familiarity with each other. 

Tennessee Titans

The only team projected to have more cap space than the Raiders, the Titans will also be in the hunt for weapons to help their No. 1 pick, QB Cam Ward, develop. Tennessee has over $90 million available to spend this offseason and will create more with a few expected releases. One of those is likely to be veteran WR Calvin Ridley, who broke his fibula last November. Ridley was a big free agent signing but his Tennessee tenure was marked more by inconsistency than production. 

Moore was drafted two picks ahead of Ridley back in 2018, but he’s almost three years younger and should have much more left in the tank. With his talent after the catch, he’s a good fit for new Titans OC Brian Daboll who is big on getting the ball into the hands of his weapons in space. 

Like the Raiders, the Titans should also be in the mix for multiple receivers this year. They’re more likely to focus on veterans, though, with a pair of 2025 fourth-rounders in Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike who flashed in an otherwise dreary year for Tennessee. That’s another area where Moore fits. While he’s not a true No. 1, he can suck away attention from opposing defenses and allow Ayomanor and Dike to develop as ancillary pieces without quite so much pressure. 

New York Jets

Yet another team with loads of cap space to spend and a burning need at wide receiver, the Jets were paced by WR Garrett Wilson last year. He had 395 yards and four touchdowns through seven games before going down with what proved to be a season-ending injury. No other offensive skill player beat those marks the rest of the way. 

It feels like a safe bet the Jets will use some of their projected $63 million in cap space to make an addition at wide receiver, maybe multiple. They also have 11 picks this year, including two compensatory fifth-round picks. Wilson will be the centerpiece of the passing game but they need other options to take advantage of the space he creates, especially at wide receiver. Moore would be a more than suitable Robin to Wilson’s Batman. 

Ironically, this would give Moore a chance to play for Jets OC Frank Reich, his head coach briefly in Carolina. The two men know each other but Reich signed off on a trade that sent Moore to Chicago just a few months after taking the job. A lot has happened for both since then and it’s unlikely there would be too many hard feelings. Reich spoke highly of Moore when he took the Panthers job, the team just felt like it had to make sacrifices to get a potential franchise starter. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have been an annual feature in these types of articles looking at potential landing spots for receivers. They pursued Brandon Aiyuk and Amari Cooper and finally landed D.K. Metcalf last offseason. But there’s still a need for complementary pieces, especially with new HC Mike McCarthy likely to direct a more pass-forward attack than former Steelers OC Arthur Smith ran the past two years. 

Moore brings a different set of skills to the table than Metcalf, who excels as a big, fast, physical X receiver. He’s at his best down the field and with a runway. Moore is shiftier, more versatile and better suited as a slot and flanker, but he also has a physical edge with the ball in his hands. He’d do well with all the space underneath created by the threat of Metcalf over the top. Steelers OC Brian Angelichio overlapped in Carolina with Moore for multiple seasons, so he should have a great idea of how to get the most out of him. 

The Steelers have 12 draft picks this coming season, including two fourths, a fifth and three third-rounders, the latest the No. 99 overall pick as a compensatory selection at the very end of the round. With $39 million in available cap space plus avenues to create more, Pittsburgh is well-positioned to be aggressive and creative to address needs this offseason. It might not be clear who will be under center just yet, but no matter who he is, he’ll need weapons to throw to.