The Chicago Bears made a somewhat expected move on Thursday morning when they reportedly traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears will send Moore and a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 draft. But the biggest impact may not be if the Bears land a stud with the picks or get a 1,000-yard season from Odunze or Burden; it could be the money they create by trading Moore.
Over The Cap notes the trade frees up $16.5 million in cap room and has the Bills taking on his $24.5 million in salary for 2026 and a $15.5 million guarantee for 2027. The money is important to Chicago, which will be looking to add key pieces when the new league year opens next week, and it could lead them to a star pass rusher, potentially Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders or Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bears One Step Closer to Landing Crosby, Hendrickson After Moore Deal
The Bears' pass rush badly needs a lift this offseason after getting minimal production in 2025. Chicago was tied for 22nd with 35 sacks and ranked 22nd with a 21.1 percent pressure rate last season, according to Pro Football Reference. The numbers were also boosted by Montez Sweat, who led Chicago with 10 sacks, but the Bears need to find an upgrade over Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo on the opposite side.
That has led to Chicago being considered a popular destination for Crosby. The star edge rusher has been the talk of trade rumors dating back to the end of last season, but his contract isn’t easy to fit into the puzzle with a $35.7 million cap hit for 2026. While Crosby is under contract through the 2029 season, he also runs out of guaranteed money after next year, meaning he could need his deal re-worked to add money before any trade is completed.
Mix in the draft compensation – which may rival the Green Bay Packers giving up two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark for Micah Parsons last summer – and the Bears may choose to pivot to Hendrickson.
Like Crosby, Hendrickson won’t be cheap with a market value of $25.4 million per season, according to Spotrac. But he would also come without any draft capital attached, making it a matter of Chicago clearing the money to make it happen.
Over The Cap projects the Bears with $8.1 million in cap space after the Moore trade, and that’s before more moves are completed in advance of the new league year, which begins on March 11. A Tremaine Edmunds trade could clear $15 million off the books, and Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement will also clear $10 million off the books. According to Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, this gives Chicago $33.1 million in cap space if both moves go through.
Potential restructures could also be part of Chicago’s offseason plan, creating more cap space to land a top-tier edge rusher as well as address other needs in the secondary and at linebacker. But the pass rush is the Bears’ No. 1 priority this offseason, and it got one step closer to being addressed after trading Moore on Thursday.