Wide receiver DJ Moore has been transferred from the Chicago Bears to the Buffalo Bills, an announcement the team made public on Wednesday. Prior to his three years with the Bears, Moore played his initial five seasons as a professional with the Carolina Panthers.
As part of the deal, Chicago obtained a second-round selection in the 2026 NFL draft, whereas Buffalo gained a fifth-round pick in the same draft in addition to Moore.
This player exchange was formally ratified coinciding with the commencement of the new NFL calendar.
Moore’s prior move was a significant transaction involving his transfer from Carolina to the Bears, where he was exchanged for the top overall selection in the 2023 draft, a pick the Panthers utilized to draft quarterback Bryce Young. In exchange, the Bears obtained Moore, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft, the 61st pick (a second-rounder) in 2023, a first-round pick for 2024, and a second-round pick for 2025. Eventually, the Bears employed the 2024 first-round pick to draft quarterback Caleb Williams as the first overall selection.
During Ben Johnson’s inaugural season as the team’s head coach and offensive strategist, Moore recorded the lowest figures of his professional career for receptions and receiving yardage, even though he participated in every one of the 17 games; this was due to the Bears’ strategy of distributing the ball widely among their offensive talents. That season, he concluded with 50 receptions, 682 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns, contributing to the Bears’ 11-6 record and their eventual NFC North championship.
Having been targeted over 136 times in each of his initial two years with the team, Moore experienced a reduction in opportunities last season, receiving only 85 targets, which was the first instance of fewer than 90 targets since his debut year. This current trade presents a chance for him to reclaim a more central role within an offensive scheme.
His most successful professional campaign occurred in his inaugural year with the Bears in 2023, during which he accumulated 1,364 receiving yards and secured eight touchdowns.
Moore, who previously worked under Joe Brady—the new head coach for the Bills—for two seasons while with Carolina as his offensive coordinator, is now poised to be a primary receiving option for quarterback Josh Allen. Reports from Rapoport indicate that Buffalo had previously engaged in conversations with the Philadelphia Eagles regarding AJ Brown, but these discussions have ceased following their acquisition of Moore.
With Moore no longer a part of their roster, the Bears are anticipated to place their reliance on tight end Colston Loveland, alongside wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze. In 2025, Loveland, Moore, Odunze, and Burden each surpassed 650 receiving yards; however, none managed to exceed Loveland’s 713 yards—an achievement particularly notable given that both Loveland and Burden were in their initial professional seasons.
