Saints Could Make a Splash by Targeting Bears’ DJ Moore

The New Orleans Saints should get the Chicago Bears on the phone as fast as possible this offseason with the hope of adding a playmaker.

Chris Olave is a star and is the team's clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Devaughn Vele looked good after the Saints traded Rashid Shaheed away. But the team needs another playmaker if they want to take a significant step in 2026. Enter the Bears.

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USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz broke down the top "big-name" trade candidates out there to watch and had Bears receiver DJ Moore on the list.

The Saints need to call the Bears

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) makes the eventual game winning touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

"WR DJ Moore, Chicago Bears," Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. "Don't take his inclusion as an indictment of the season-ending miscommunication with Caleb Williams that sunk the Bears in the divisional-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Rather, moving Moore could serve as a means to right-size the receiver room in Chicago. ... There might not be many bidders for a soon-to-be 29-year-old who is coming off posting career lows in catches (50) and receiving yards (682). But cutting him outright would entail a prohibitive $35.5 million cap hit, while dealing him would allow Chicago to clear $16.5 million in space. For that reason, maybe a minimal return would prove sufficient to facilitate a swap that would allow the team to stave off cap-saving moves elsewhere.

"There are several receiver-needy teams with a good deal of cap space and diminishingly few worthwhile free-agent options worth plugging in as a pass catcher. Taking on Moore's $23.5 million guaranteed salary for 2026 might be a non-starter to some, but he could provide the same kind of assistance he previously did with the Bears and Carolina Panthers in lifting up an underdeveloped receiving corps."

Moore is the exact type of receiver the Saints need. He had a tough season in a crowded Bears receiver room. But this is a guy who had 98 catches, 966 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. In 2023, he had 96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.

If the Bears are actually willing to move on because of the other receivers on the roster, the Saints should see if a mid-round draft pick could get a deal over the finish line. He's just 28 years old. Imagine Tyler Shough throwing to him, Olave, Vele and Juwan Johnson? That would be explosive.

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