Trading D.J. Moore Was a Bigger Bet Than the Bears Want to Admit

When the Chicago Bears traded receiver D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills ahead of free agency, they signaled a major vote of confidence in their young room of receivers that remained behind, most notably third-year Rome Odunze and second-year Luther Burden III. General manager Ryan Poles is betting on these players maturing within head coach Ben Johnson's offense and becoming the kind of leader that Moore was, and now is, for Buffalo, but did he push his chips into the pile too soon?

WR1 production isn't the only thing that D.J. Moore brings to Buffalo

DJ Moore opened up about his growing pains with the Bills during OTAs, but it's nothing that should cause a panic among the Bills Mafia. This isn't the first time Moore has switched teams, and in his first season with the Bears, he had a career year, racking up 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. And now that he's paired with a Top 3 quarterback in Josh Allen and faces almost no competition for targets from his new teammates, the sky's the limit for the 29-year-old receiver.

But that's not all that Moore brings to the table in Buffalo. He's already cementing himself as a locker room leader, especially for the receivers. Fifth-year receiver Khalil Shakir raved about Moore's leadership, according to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. "He's a vibe, for sure," Shakir said of Moore. "He definitely brings that dog mentality to our room, that you know, ‘I'm gonna go out there and beat you one on one, and I'm gonna let you know too,’ like that.”

It's that kind of leadership that the Bears willingly parted with when they traded Moore. They bet on either Odunze or Burden to step into that WR1 role left behind by Moore, but is either one up for the task?

Odunze and Burden face challenges from each other, and from another position group

Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts after catching a pass against the L.A. Rams. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The tough part of projecting who will be Chicago's new WR1 is that they have two young, highly-skilled and highly-drafted receivers still on their rookie deals. I've written before that I believe Luther Burden will emerge as WR1 on the depth chart in 2026, but it could just as likely be Odunze. Additionally, they face a challenge from tight end Colston Loveland, whose clutch gene could make the WR1 battle irrelevant.

With this many players all generally of the same age and same ability, it's difficult to say who will emerge as the leader, or whether having a leader is even possible. NFL receivers are notorious for turning into divas the instant they believe they're not being utilized to their maximum ability. Just look at the Philadelphia Eagles. They spent all offseason preparing for the loss of A.J. Brown in a trade, not because his value has declined, but because he wants to go to a new offense that will feed him more targets.

I'm not predicting that either Odunze or Burden will become a problem in 2026 if they feel underutilized. Indeed, I think both have shown enough maturity already to work together for the good of the team, even if they're not getting as many targets as they may like. But there remains a non-zero chance one of these players will be unhappy with their workload, especially if the Bears don't win as much as they did last year. A young, ascendant team like the Bears can ill afford even a minor break in unit cohesion.

The Bottom Line

Chicago Bears WR Luther Burden III celebrates after a first down at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

While D.J. Moore's salary cap hit for 2027 always made him a likely cap casualty this offseason, trading him still posed a significant risk for the Bears. Their young receivers look ready to take the next step in their development, but football is about more than the stat sheets. The best teams have players that are led by their peers, and if a clear leader in the receiver room doesn't emerge in training camp, that could pose a problem for the offense.

A lot is riding on a successful 2026 season. A backslide from their division championship season a year ago, culminating in a triumphant Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers, would destroy in the blink of an eye the goodwill that the Bears have built up among the fans and the NFL world at large. Hopefully, Ryan Poles' big bet on his draft picks works out.

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