Through the first three weeks of the regular season, it's been Rome Odunze, not D.J. Moore, who has emerged as the Chicago Bears’ top wide receiver option. As a Bears fan, you love to see Odunze take that next step after a quiet rookie season.
However, it’s disappointing to see Moore only have 12 receptions (16 targets) for 135 yards and a touchdown heading into Sunday’s game against Las Vegas. While many fans aren’t thinking about a trade involving Moore, a recent injury to a big-play wide receiver on Sunday could open up that possibility.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is believed to have suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. With Nabers likely done for the year, the Giants need a new No. 1 WR, which is where Moore comes into play.
Bears WR DJ Moore Trade Could Be Potential Trade Candidate with Malik Nabers' Injury
For the Bears to move on from Moore in the next few weeks, things would have to go south, and they would likely have to be overwhelmed in a potential deal. The veteran pass catcher was just signed to a huge four-year, $110 million extension last summer.
Moore has a cap hit of $24.9 million this season and won’t become a free agent until after the 2029 season, making this a huge commitment for any team that takes him on.
The Giants seem like a logical fit with Nabers sidelined as their next best WRs are Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton. Moore is an upgrade over both guys, but the Giants aren’t in ready-to-contend mode as they’ve moved on to rookie QB Jaxon Dart.
This season, the Bears' veteran wide receiver is averaging 11.3 yards per game (second-worst in his career) and 3.7 yards after the catch per reception (second-fewest), which isn’t what fans are used to seeing from Moore.
Nonetheless, Bears fans hoped that Moore would take another step under first-time head coach Ben Johnson, especially seeing what he did with Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit, but that hasn’t happened yet.
We’ll see if Moore can look like the guy we saw in 2023 and 2024 over the next few weeks, or if the rookie Luther Burden III continues to emerge after playing well in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys.