DJ Moore Traded To The Buffalo Bills
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Former Maryland Terrapin wide receiver and alumnus, DJ Moore, will have a new home in the 2026 NFL season. This afternoon, the Chicago Bears moved Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
TRADE: Bears trading WR DJ Moore to Bills. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/GpkdBIhwBy
— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2026
Moore (28) now joins one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen. Allen and Buffalo's offense gain them a No. 1 wideout at their disposal that they've been looking for since the departure of Stefon Diggs.
The move is not as shocking as it may seem. Moore posted career lows in receptions (50), receiving yards (682), receptions per contest (2.9), and yards per game (40.1). All of this was due to the emergence of second-year wideout Rome Odunze and the additions of rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III, who each brought a dynamic style to the Chicago offense and options for franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.
Now, Moore has an opportunity to take his game to another level that he hasn't fully tapped into yet. Moore began his career with the Carolina Panthers after being selected in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
I cannot wait to watch DJ Moore in a Buffalo Bills jersey next year pic.twitter.com/td3IsDmwuK
— SleeperBills (@SleeperBills) March 5, 2026
In five seasons with the Panthers, Moore posted three 1,000-yard receiving seasons and led the team in four out of the five seasons in receiving yards. Despite the lack of success in wins and losses during that span, which featured zero playoff appearances, Moore was one of the league's up-and-coming receiver talents.
After the 2023 season, Moore was moved to Chicago in a blockbuster deal that saw him, the 2023 1st-round pick (No. 9 - used on OT Darnell Wright), 2023 2nd-round pick (No. 61 - traded), 2024 1st-round pick (No. 1 - used on QB Caleb Williams), and 2025 2nd-round pick in exchange for the Bears 2023 No. 1 overall pick (used on QB Bryce Young).
Moore made an immediate impact, becoming the go-to guy for former Chicago quarterback Justin Fields, posting his best statistical season yet, hauling in career-highs at the time with 96 receptions, 1,364 receiving yards, 14.2 yards per reception, and eight touchdowns.
However, in the past two seasons, he's seen a decrease in certain statistical areas of his game.
Now in Buffalo, he joins newly signed head coach Joe Brady, who was Moore's offensive coordinator in Carolina (2020-2021). Moore's familiarity with Brady's system will help him develop a connection with Allen. The Bills have needed a solid No. 1 target that can provide them with consistent play every Sunday.
Moore brings a physical, big-play, yac, and proficient route-running style to the table that has allowed him to display Pro Bowl- and even all-pro-level talent.
The question is: can Moore navigate the ups and downs that come with being a No. 1 option and how defenses approach him schematically, without letting his emotions bring out frustration?
Even so, it'll be exciting to see Moore in a new situation that he isn't used to, where the franchise he's on is in the Super Bowl conversation yearly.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.