Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has been the subject of rampant trade speculation since moments after the 2025 season ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Even after the salary cap was raised by upwards of $20 million by the NFL, the Bears still have less than $1 million in cap space, and trading Moore would create an additional $16.5 million in spending flexibility for general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago to work with, while triggering a $12 million dead-money charge.
How the Chicago Bears could replace DJ Moore
In some ways, Moore became expendable this past season thanks to rookie wide receiver Luther Burden and first-round pick Colston Loveland’s emergences in quarterback Caleb Williams’ supporting cast as reliable big-play threats in the Bears’ passing game.
If the Bears do move off Moore, there could be an ideal replacement available in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman, part of the Bears’ ‘ideal’ NFL Draft haul would be adding UCONN wide receiver Skyler Bell in the third round.
“Receiver is a wild-card position for the Bears, too,” Wasserman points out for PFF. “If D.J. Moore is traded, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Chicago draft a wideout — after all, the team double-dipped at pass-catcher last April. Bell enjoyed a career season with UConn, registering an 85.1 PFF receiving grade with 8.2 yards after the catch per reception while playing both inside and out.”
Bell is a big play threat, catching 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Huskies last season, and could be a versatile piece for head coach Ben Johnson to deploy either from the slot or on the perimeter for Williams and the passing game.
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