Panthers Could Be Hilarious Landing Spot for Unhappy Bears WR

The Carolina Panthers most likely overpaid for the number one overall pick in 2023. Even if they'd picked C.J. Stroud and enjoyed his stellar rookie season (though Bryce Young is better now), it still wouldn't have been worth the cost.

Part of that is because they traded a future first-round pick and DJ Moore. Had they paid just one of those two along with the rest of the future picks, it would've been a whole lot easier to stomach.

Alas, the Panthers parted with the best wide receiver they'd had since prime Steve Smith. Now, a few years later, Moore appears to be on the outs in Chicago, and the Panthers could hilariously swoop in.

Panthers could add DJ Moore after Bears tenure went awry

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) celebrates his receiving touchdown against the Carolina Panthers | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

DJ Moore has not had a stellar run with the Chicago Bears. He was seen unhappy on the bench, publicly stated his desire that the Bears keep Justin Fields instead of drafting Caleb Williams, and has been criticized for running routes lazily.

The latter issue seemed to pop up on the final offensive play of the Bears' season. He appeared to job his route, not getting to where Williams threw it, and allowing a defender to pick it off uncontested. That ended up losing the Bears their playoff game.

It all looks like the Bears are going to move on. PFF listed Moore as a likely trade candidate this offseason. If so, the Panthers would be a rather ironic fit.

Bradley Locker wrote, "Moore was elite after being traded from Carolina to Chicago, garnering an 89.0 overall PFF grade in 2023. But in the two years since, that number has dwindled to 73.5, including a 72.8 PFF receiving grade."

He said that 2025 was a "trying" season for Moore, adding, "Questions surrounding his route-running effort — including against the Rams in the playoffs — continued to populate."

Still, the Bears had PFF's 12th-rated WR group, and they may not want to mess with that in a crucial year for Williams' development. The $28.5 million Moore will cost against the cap, as their fourth-best pass-catcher in PFF grade, might force their hand.

If they do opt to roll with the younger and cheaper options, the Panthers probably wouldn't bite on Moore. They've seen him get worse since trading him away, and virtually no one on the team was part of that decision or that era.

Still, it would be hilarious to see Moore return home. It would also be a pretty solid addition, assuming the Bears ate some of the cost and/or it didn't require much capital to get him. A wide receiver room of Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Moore, Xavier Legette, and Jimmy Horn Jr. would be nice.

Plus, Moore is the deep threat this team truly needs. McMillan excels down the field, but Moore can kind of take the top off the defense and open things up for everyone. He'd also be a nice veteran mentor for the group since none of them have been in the NFL for more than two seasons.

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