The Chicago Bears don’t necessarily need wide receiver DJ Moore to be a successful offense moving forward, so they could explore a deal to turn him and a draft asset into an elite NFL pass-catcher.
Moore is on pace for his worst year as a professional, though that isn’t all his fault. And while he may not be a top-tier WR1, he’s definitely still in that conversation as he approaches his age-29 season in 2026. But as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed out on October 30, Moore doesn’t necessarily fit into what head coach Ben Johnson is doing in Chicago, which could make him the “odd man out” come this offseason.
So while Moore could walk into a franchise like the Cleveland Browns or Las Vegas Raiders and be the No. 1 wideout on the spot, one can argue that he’s actually a negative-value player for the Bears, as he is on the cusp of the first season of a four-year extension worth $110 million.
Looking to the East, there’s another high-end wide receiver in AJ Brown who is fitting out more than he’s fitting in with the Philadelphia Eagles‘ new offensive direction under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo. So much so that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pitched Brown as the league’s most intriguing trade candidate heading into the offseason on Wednesday, December 17.
“Several executives I spoke to believe the Eagles could look to move Brown, who is 28 and still has prime years left,” Fowler wrote. “He would undoubtedly have a market.”
Johnson may not consider a top-flight receiver a primary priority heading into 2026, but if the Bears could flip Moore and a fourth-round pick (No. 131 overall currently) to Philly in exchange for Brown, that could prove a win-win-win-win situation for every party involved.
DJ Moore, AJ Brown Similar in Many Ways Including Their Frustrations With Current Teams
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown.
Moore hasn’t been nearly as vocal or public as Brown has about his frustration with his current circumstances. But cameras have caught Moore on the sideline more than once expressing clear annoyance, and even anger, with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and the general state of the offense.
Given how similar their situations are, there is some logic to the notion of swapping Moore for Brown and seeing how the change of scenery suits each player. Brown is a three-time consecutive All-Pro to whom Philadelphia owes $50 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons.
Moore has topped 1,000 yards receiving four times in his career and come close twice more. Brown have five years of 1,000-plus receiving yards.
Moore’s base salaries over the next two years combined total just shy of $47 million. He is three months older than Brown and has played eight pro seasons to Brown’s seven campaigns.
Brown could join Chicago as the WR1 and bump second-year pass-catcher Rome Odunze down to No. 2, a spot at which he would be among the best talents in the league. Moore could join DeVonta Smith as co-WR1s in an Eagles offense that has played in the Super Bowl in two of the last three Februaries.
Bears Would Have to Decide That Money for AJ Brown Would Not Be Better Utilized on Defense, Offensive Line
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The biggest hitch in this hypothetical trade scenario would be Johnson feeling like he has enough firepower on offense, and that the $24.5 million in cap space that trading Moore with a post-June 1 designation would save the team in each of the next four seasons could be better utilized adding to the pass rush or investing in an elite left tackle.
That could be true. But Chicago also owns three draft picks in the top 91 selections (25, 60 and 91 currently) next year, and could use one — or multiple — of those to find a quality edge-rusher. Beyond that, second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo is already playing at close to a league-average level at the tackle position, per Pro Football Focus.
Thus, the Bears might already have the player they need in that spot as part of one of the best offensive lines in the NFL this season — No. 3 heading into Week 16, according to PFF’s advanced metrics.
Chicago’s defense is well below average in 2025, but if Johnson and the front office can focus the majority, or the entirety, of the team’s Day 1 and Day 2 draft assets on improving the weak spots on that side of the football, why not flip Moore and a fourth-rounder for a playmaker in Brown who could make all the difference in Williams’ third year under center?
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