The reason for the trade came down to franchise convenience. With his massive salary cap hit and the influx of talent on Chicago’s roster, trading Moore made the most sense from a business standpoint. The main driver allowing them to make the move was simple: Luther Burden III.

Last offseason, the Bears did not need another wide receiver with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the roster. But when they elected to draft the best player available in the second round, they lucked into a young, promising playmaker who thrived in his rookie season, giving them the ability to move on from Moore.

Factors that influenced the decision on Moore

Moore carried a high cap number with large future salary guarantees kicking in, and parting ways saved Chicago roughly $16.5 million in financial flexibility. In addition, the rapid development of younger weapons—such as rookie standout Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze—made it easier for general manager Ryan Poles to move on from Moore’s high price tag.

The Bears managed to secure a valuable 2026 second-round draft pick (No. 60 overall) from Buffalo in exchange for a fifth-round selection, maximizing the market value of a veteran receiver. Everything hinged on Ryan Poles’ confidence in Burden, who is expected to play a prominent role in his second season after showing his massive potential as a serious threat, as well as his versatility and playmaking ability.

Bears’ management of draft compensation and salary cap

The Bears did not actually select a player at No. 60 overall. Instead, general manager Ryan Poles traded down on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, sending the No. 60 pick to the Tennessee Titans.

This maneuver aimed to cover significant draft gaps on Day 3, as Chicago initially lacked fifth- and sixth-round selections. In exchange for trading back, they acquired pick No. 69 in the third round—used to select Stanford tight end Sam Roush—and pick No. 144 in the fifth round, providing crucial mid-round capital and late-draft flexibility.

Regarding the salary cap, while the roughly $16.5 million in savings from Moore’s contract placed the Bears in a safer position, the move primarily served to rebalance a top-heavy payroll. Heading into the regular season, the Bears were projected to be nearly $12 million over the league spending limit.

Combined with late-summer contract restructures for guard Joe Thuney, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, and linebacker T.J. Edwards, the cleared cap space achieved two strategic goals: pulling the team out of a compromised financial situation and ensuring rule compliance before Week 1, while leaving the team with between $4 million and $5 million in operating margin under the salary cap.

Key takeways

• A 2026 second-round pick was acquired from Buffalo for wide receiver DJ Moore.
• Roughly $16.5 million in financial flexibility was saved by parting ways.
• Pick No. 60 was traded to Tennessee for additional draft capital.

“Felt great, still gotta go through some things, but we’ll be good,” Moore revealed recently to the press. Skyler Bell is next on the depth chart at the RWR position.

Moore’s injury against the Detroit Lions in Week 2 raised concerns for the Bills, although fortunately for them, it turned out to be less serious than initially feared. Josh Allen has one of his favorite targets in Buffalo at No. 2 through the air.

What happened to Moore?

There was high drama for Buffalo during Thursday night’s game against the Lions when DJ Moore suffered a shoulder injury, later diagnosed as an AC joint sprain. The issue occurred late in the second quarter on a dive into the end zone, where he landed heavily on his side and absorbed the entire force of the impact directly on his shoulder joint.

After being evaluated in the locker room, tests confirmed there were no structural fractures in his shoulder, leaving him day-to-day as he worked to regain full mobility in time for Week 3.

Moore’s numbers so far this season

Through the first two games of his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, DJ Moore has hauled in 5 receptions on 8 targets for 100 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. He burst onto the scene in Week 1 against Houston with a big 100-yard outing and a score, but went catchless in Week 2 against Detroit after being forced out early due to his injury.

Buffalo’s receiving corps

Key takeaways

• Adam Schefter reported that the questionable wide receiver will play.
• Medical tests confirmed no structural fractures in Moore’s shoulder following an AC joint sprain.
• Through two games, he recorded 100 receiving yards and one touchdown on five catches.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Moore’s shoulder injury isn’t as bad, but that doesn’t mean he will come back. Per Schefter, his source said, Moore “has a chance to play next week (vs. the Chargers), but it’s not a lock, either.”

The good news is the injury isn’t considered serious by the doctors. Hence, he has a ‘day-to-day‘ label. Given that the Bills have a long week after dismantling the Lions on Thursday Night Football, they remain hopeful that Moore can suit up.

The Bills still looked great without Moore

While Moore is important and clearly the WR1 of the team, the Bills still had an incredible offensive output. The fact is that when Josh Allen is the quarterback, the offense will produce regardless. With Moore, life’s easier, but without him, the Bills still move the chains.

Against the Lions, they scored 41 points, put up 446 total yards. The Bills are an unstoppable force. With Moore, they just add more firepower in a multidimensional level, as Moore can operate in many ways.

The game vs Chargers should be another shootout

While the Chargers started very slow, the offense projects to be absolutely fireworks too. Both defenses have stuff to clean out, hence, Week 3 could be a third-straight high-scoring game for Buffalo.

DJ Moore fell hard when targeted in the endzone by Josh Allen. He couldn’t grab the ball and fell with all his bodyweight on his shoulder. He was immediately in pain and was taken to the locker room for X-Rays.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “WR DJ Moore, who landed hard on his shoulder, is questionable to return with a shoulder injury and a stinger.” This would be a massive blow for the future of the Bills, if Moore ends up missing time.

Moore was brought to be the WR1 of the Bills

Despite the Bills moving the chains with ease vs. the Lions, it’s a reality that Moore was a key component going forward. After all, he was expected to serve as the WR1 of the team and first option for Josh Allen in the passing game.

The stinger —also called a burner or brachial plexus neuropraxia— is a temporary nerve injury that causes a sharp, burning pain shooting from the neck and shoulder down the arm. However, the concerning injury is the whether it’s an AC sprain or a clavicle fracture.

Bills WR depth chart without DJ Moore

Without DJ Moore, the Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver group relies on Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, and Greg Dortch. However, in terms of relevance, the pecking order must include the tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. This would be the order of all receivers available:

1. Khalil Shakir
2. Dalton Kincaid
3. Keon Coleman
4. Dawson Knox
5. Joshua Palmer
6. Greg Dortch

“It’s going good,” the former Chicago Bears receiver said, via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News. “I mean, it’s gonna be perfect later on, but right now it’s still growing pains.”

After his stint in the Windy City, Moore arrives in Buffalo with the intention of becoming his new quarterback’s top target. All signs point to that happening by Week 1, as the chemistry between the two continues to develop steadily, albeit gradually.

Moore must regain his elite level

Despite coming off a down year with the Chicago Bears in 2025, where he registered a career-low 682 receiving yards on 50 catches but still managed to grab 6 touchdowns, DJ Moore is poised to completely revitalize the Buffalo Bills’ offense in 2026.

The Bills aggressively addressed their desperate need for a proven veteran weapon by executing a blockbuster trade at the start of the league year, sending their 2026 second-round pick (No. 60 overall) to Chicago in exchange for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round selection.

This move sets up a massive offensive boost for Buffalo; not only does Moore excel at destroying man coverage and stretching the field, but he also perfectly pairs with Josh Allen and reunites with Joe Brady, under whom Moore recorded back-to-back 1,100-plus yard campaigns in Carolina.

An intriguing receiving corps for Allen

Josh Allen is going to have some serious fun spreading the ball around this year with a completely revamped targets list. Leading the charge is the aforementioned Moore, while Joshua Palmer slides in as a super reliable, physical weapon on the outside. Add the chemistry he already has with Khalil Shakir working out of the slot, and Allen suddenly has a dynamic, incredibly well-rounded trio ready to make some noise in 2026.

Josh Allen has a premier new weapon at his disposal for the 2026 NFL season. By trading for DJ Moore, the Bills have secured a top-tier wide receiver who is expected to significantly elevate the team’s offensive ceiling.

Naturally, Moore’s arrival raises questions regarding Keon Coleman’s target share. Nevertheless, head coach Joe Brady believes Coleman’s performance will not suffer, despite the young wideout now being technically regarded as the WR2 on the depth chart.

“The thing with Keon is from a football standpoint, man, his work ethic, his approach, how he’s going through it, if Keon just takes care of himself off the field and he just shows up, he’s going to be good to go,” Brady said this week, via Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle. “Keon is on our football team. I’ve never said anything negative. I was the first to tell everybody I want Keon Coleman. Keon’s not going to just be pushed aside.”

DJ Moore is more than just a wide receiver for the Bills

During a recent interview at the NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, Joe Brady revealed that the Bills’ entire receiving corps will benefit from Moore’s presence.

As an elite route-runner, Moore will draw heavy attention from opposing secondaries, creating defensive gravity that opens up underneath routes and one-on-one matchups for his teammates.

The former Chicago Bears star was a remarkably consistent target for Caleb Williams. However, the Bears sought to officially elevate Rome Odunze to the WR1 role, ultimately deciding that the best path forward was to move Moore in a high-profile trade.

With Moore now established as the WR1, Allen leads an offense overflowing with talented pass catchers. Expectations are sky-high for a Buffalo team that, despite Allen’s individual brilliance, has struggled to reach the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl championship.

On March 11, the Bills fulfilled Josh Allen’s wish by securing a new WR1. The club acquired DJ Moore via trade from the Chicago Bears, a move that has led fans to believe the quarterback finally has a truly formidable receiving corps.

Joe Brady, who recently took over as head coach, shares this sentiment. He has praised Moore’s skillset and believes his presence will draw enough defensive attention to help the other pass catchers shine.

“Having a guy like DJ it’s going to help both of them,” Brady said about wide receiver Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid, via the team’s website. “[Defenses] can’t just focus on one particular person. It gives us another layer of somebody on the outside. Khalil and Dalton have attacked a lot of the middle of the field, a lot of the inside zones . . . It was important to get a skill set like DJ, a guy that can stretch it, can win one-on-one, can get the ball in his hands, and he can win on a slant.”

The Bills’ offense looks very solid

The Bills have primarily thrived thanks to Josh Allen‘s individual brilliance. However, it appears the front office is now determined to provide him with more support, adding weapons rather than relying solely on the quarterback’s “clutch” heroics.

Not only do the Bills possess an outstanding RB1 in James Cook, but the variety of pass catchers at Allen’s disposal looks incredibly deep. DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, Mecole Hardman Jr., Dalton Kincaid, and Dawson Knox are just a few of the names set to feature in this high-powered offense.

In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bills are not expected to use their first-round pick (26th overall) on a wide receiver. Instead, they are likely to bolster the position in the later rounds, hoping to land a “hidden gem” to round out the depth chart.

Super Bowl or bust?

Last season, many believed the Bills had a clear path to Super Bowl LX with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow absent from the playoffs. However, they were stunned by Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round.

In 2026, expectations are significantly higher. The Bills are currently favorites to win the AFC East despite the impressive 2025 campaign turned in by the New England Patriots. As of today, it seems the Super Bowl is the standard; anything less would be considered a disappointment for Buffalo.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bills are releasing Curtis Samuel. The nine-year veteran spent two seasons with the Bills, but last year, he only played six games for seven catches and 81 yards. He became a non-factor for Josh Allen and the team as he also spent quite a while on Injured Reserve.

Samuel is now headed to free agency, where the 29-year-old will try to go to a team where he can shine. His best year was back in 2020, where he got 851 yards in 15 games with the Carolina Panthers, where he was the teammate of DJ Moore, the one who indirectly caused his release from the Bills.

Samuel is a collateral cap casualty

The Bills will save $6 million in 2026 salary cap space. Unfortunately for Samuel, the fact that Moore arrived on the team meant that one wideout was going to be let go. Unfortunately, it was him. Samuel struggled to stay healthy and struggled with his production as well.

The move helps alleviate the Bills’ salary cap constraints. The Bills also released cornerback Taron Johnson, which will save a further $1.9 million in cap space. Hence, the Bills are trying to create room for bigger moves by releasing expendable players.

Bills WR room is heavily paid

The Bills were the second-highest-paid WR room in the NFL, only behind the Bengals. With this move, they will go down to the fourth. They went from $59.4 million spent on WRs to $53.4, putting them below the Dallas Cowboys ($56.7m) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($56.3m).

The difference is that when you think about the Bengals, Cowboys, and Buccaneers, you think of elite WR rooms that warrant that kind of money. With the Bills, it’s just not the case, as they’ve been a below par unit for years.

According to Easton Butler, the Dolphins, Steelers, Bills, Eagles and Saints are interested in Romeo Doubs. However, there is an interesting detail regarding the race for the receiver. “Dolphins are clear #1 so far for WR Romeo Doubs, with the Steelers and Bills just as strong. Other teams interested are Eagles and Saints. (Bills prior to DJ Moore trade).”

In addition, Doubs is not the only player leaving the Packers as a free agent. Quarterback Malik Willis, left tackle Rasheed Walker and linebacker Quay Walker are also expected to depart once the NFL free agent market opens. Offensive lineman Sean Rhyan and defensive end Kingsley Enagbare may have also played their final game with the franchise.

One situation that could influence Doubs’ potential destination involves the Steelers, as he could reunite with the quarterback he played with during his rookie season if Aaron Rodgers decides to return for one more year. That possibility could become a key factor, although the Dolphins are expected to make a resurgence.

Romeo Doubs numbers with the Packers

A fourth-round pick by the Packers in 2022, Romeo Doubs emerged as a consistent contributor in Green Bay’s passing attack, recording 202 receptions for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns over his four-year career. One of his standout performances came against the Cowboys this past season, when he caught six passes for 58 yards and three touchdowns.

Bills complete trade for DJ Moore

On Thursday, the Bills finalized a trade with the Bears for wide receiver DJ Moore, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal will not become official until the start of the league year on March 11, but both teams have already agreed to the terms. The Bills will also receive a 2026 fifth-round pick, while Buffalo will send its 2026 second-round pick to Chicago.

The move marked the first significant acquisition since Joe Brady was promoted to head coach on Jan. 27, and it also provided a new WR1 for quarterback Josh Allen, who has targeted wide receivers at a declining rate since 2020.

With Moore now in the picture, the Bills could be less likely to chase other star wideouts such as Jaylen Waddle or Mike Evans. Analyst Ted Nguyen raised questions about the financial implications of the move. “Going to be hard to go after Mike Evans with this contract on the books. Not sure if Moore is the solution to the Bills WR issues.”

The acquisition could therefore represent both an upgrade and a commitment for the Bills as they chase the Super Bowl. While Moore is a productive receiver who can immediately contribute to the offense, the contract attached to the trade may make it difficult for Buffalo to pursue additional blockbuster moves at wide receiver.

Did the Bears trade DJ Moore?

Yes. The Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills in a move with huge implications for Josh Allen and his new era under head coach Joe Brady. According to a report from Adam Schefter, the compensation could be a mid-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Is Mike Evans a free agent?

Yes. Mike Evans is a free agent after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t give him a contract extension. Now, with DJ Moore off the market, he is probably the top target at the position for many teams.

According to reports, the Eagles are looking for a trade partner for A.J. Brown, with the potential asking price already set. However, the Bills are no longer expected to be part of that conversation.

According to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Buffalo’s trade for D.J. Moore closes the door on a potential move for A.J. Brown. Now, the Eagles must look for another landing spot for the star wide receiver with teams still in need of a top target.

A.J. Brown can still join a Super Bowl contender

Despite missing out on the chance to join Josh Allen with the Bills, A.J. Brown could still have a market among Super Bowl contenders. Nevertheless, his options appear to be limited at the moment.

Brown is not the only top wide receiver being closely monitored by contenders. Other wideouts such as Mike Evans, Jaylen Waddle, and Stefon Diggs—who was released by the Patriots on Wednesday—are also strong options for teams looking to bolster their receiving corps.

If A.J. Brown truly wants to leave Philadelphia, he may need to put pressure on the front office to pursue a trade soon, as several teams are already making moves for other star receivers while the Eagles take a slower approach this offseason.