The Chicago Bears didn’t come away with a win on Sunday night, but there was plenty to be optimistic about after a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While their outside chance to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC disappeared, the Bears could at least hang their hat on the performance of rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Burden went off in front of a national audience, grabbing eight catches for 138 yards and a touchdown in the loss. With a season high in receptions and yards, it’s impossible not to think the arrow is pointing up for the Missouri product, which also means that someone has to come down.
For Bears fans, the answer may be obvious. Veteran WR DJ Moore has been skating on thin ice throughout his first season under head coach Ben Johnson and has been mentioned as a trade candidate for the upcoming offseason. While that has been limited to speculation, Burden’s breakout may have finally shoved him out the door and made him a complete goner once the season comes to an end.
Luther Burden’s Breakout May Have Sealed DJ Moore’s Fate in Chicago
Burden’s performance was impressive on Sunday night, and you could argue that Moore’s raised just as many eyebrows in a different way. Coming off the previous two games where he caught nine passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns, including a 46-yard game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, Moore laid a dud on Sunday night, catching one pass for seven yards.
Moore was listed as questionable with a reported illness before the game, yet that isn't an excuse for his disappearance in a crucial outing.
Sharp Football’s Warren Sharp noted that Moore had one chance to make an impact on the final play of the game. jumping up and down in the right corner of the end zone. But Williams had already scrambled to his left on the play, eliminating Moore from his vision and creating a risky throw across his body. If anything, Moore should have run towards his quarterback to aid him but that didn’t happen, leading to an incomplete pass intended for Burden.
Moore’s performance could be given a pass in a vacuum, but it’s staggering when you consider that Moore hasn’t had a game close to the one Burden had on Sunday night. Moore has yet to have a 100-yard game this season, and Burden’s eight catches were three more than Moore’s previous season high of five catches from a Week 2 loss at the Detroit Lions and last week’s win over the Packers.
In addition, Sunday was also Burden’s second 100-yard game of his rookie season, while Moore hasn’t reached the century mark since an overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 24.
These are numbers that matter when the Bears decide how to construct their roster for 2026. According to OverTheCap, the Bears could save $16.5 million against the cap if they trade Moore before June 1, and at the age of 28, there could be suitors willing to take the risk. But Moore also has a $28.5 million cap hit for next season, meaning that if he wants to stay in Chicago, he’ll need to re-work his contract to do so.
At this point, it would be surprising if the Bears were willing to meet Moore halfway. Burden looked like the better receiver on Sunday night, and at a younger age and a cheaper price point, the Bears may want to move on from Moore and give the younger player a bigger workload in his sophomore season.
It would be a departure that has been weeks in the making, but may have been pushed one step closer to reality after Sunday night.