D.J. Moore trade grades for the Bills and Bears’ WR deal

The Buffalo Bills have been in dire need of a wide receiver to help Josh Allen, and now they have it. The Chicago Bears traded D.J. Moore to Buffalo on Thursday, removing a blocker for the Ben Johnson offense, while giving Allen the No. 1 receiver he so desperately needs. The deal was first reported by Adam Schefter.

Buffalo Bills receive: D.J. Moore, 2026 5th round pick
Chicago Bears receive: 2026 2nd round pick

This is a deal that makes sense from every angle, and could have a significant effect on the AFC Playoff race in 2026. Let’s grade it out.

Buffalo Bills

I wish I loved anything on this earth as much as GM Brandon Beane loves getting people who used to be on the Carolina Panthers. This is a reunion with new head coach Joe Brady, who worked with Moore in Carolina as his offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 when he was a back-to-back 1,000 yard receiver. This makes the deal a lot more appealing, because Brady has experience unlocking Moore’s potential — because there is significant downside to his play too.

It’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room when it comes to how D.J. Moore plays football: He is only happy when the ball is coming to him. This is not a receiver who thrives playing off the ball or running decoy routes, because he has a tendency to get extremely lazy when a pass isn’t drawn up to come to him, which often leads to tipping his hand to opposing defenses.

The plus side is that in Buffalo he will be the No. 1 target with a bullet. A change of scenery where he is the guaranteed No. 1 again might jump-start his drive, and Josh Allen is an ideal quarterback for him. There is an outside chance that drive can’t be capitalized on, however, and that’s a major risk when we factor in the mammoth $24.5M salary he’s owed in 2026, and the $15.5M guarantee in 2027. There’s also the return, with a 2nd round being a little more to send for Moore than it should have taken, given the salary he has on the books.

It’s a boom or bust move with the needle drifting a little more towards boom.

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears

This is a great move simply because Moore didn’t fit Ben Johnson’s offense. It became apparent that the focus moving forward was going to be on Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland — making Moore an extremely overpaid ancillary receiver in the offense.

The Bears got a really solid haul, all things considered. Even though the 2nd round pick isn’t until No. 60, its still quite a lot considering he’s not a player who figures into their plans. In addition, the cap relief offers a passive return of giving them a lot of room to play in free agency (cough, Tyler Linderbaum, cough) or potentially acquire a major talent in a trade (looking at you, Maxx Crosby). In addition, it now allows the Bears to move forward with Johnson’s offensive plan without the worry Moore will be stewing on the sideline, upset with his role, or potentially becoming a distraction for a young, building team.

When a team is able to get something for a guy that didn’t figure into their plans it’s a good deal.

Grade: A+