The Chicago Bears’ season ended without a Super Bowl appearance, and almost immediately, the conversation shifted. Not toward celebration, not toward excuses — but toward choices. Hard ones.
For the first time in the Ryan Poles era, Chicago enters the offseason in unfamiliar territory. According to Over The Cap, the Bears sit $5.3 million over the salary cap. That number alone changes everything.
When contenders fall short, sentimentality becomes a luxury.
Several names have already surfaced as potential cap casualties or trade candidates. Jaquan Brisker. Cole Kmet. Braxton Jones. All respected. All valuable. All suddenly negotiable.
But one name feels heavier than the rest.
DJ Moore.
Moore arrived in Chicago as part of the franchise-altering trade that helped bring Caleb Williams to the Bears. At the time, he wasn’t just a receiver — he was stability, proof that Chicago could support a young quarterback with a legitimate weapon.
For three seasons, he delivered professionalism and production. In 51 games, Moore caught 244 passes for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. On paper, that résumé doesn’t scream expendable.
But trends matter more than totals.
Moore’s production has declined each season since arriving in Chicago. From a career year in 2023 to a sharp dip in 2025, the trajectory is difficult to ignore.
Ninety-six catches became ninety-eight — then fifty. Yardage dropped. Efficiency tightened. The role quietly changed.
At the same time, the Bears’ offense evolved. Rome Odunze emerged as a primary option. Luther Burden III’s presence shifted defensive attention. Caleb Williams began spreading the ball rather than forcing it.
Moore didn’t disappear. But he stopped being central.
That shift matters when you’re carrying a four-year, $110 million extension signed in 2024. Moore is under contract through 2029, but contracts don’t guarantee permanence — especially not for teams trying to keep a championship window open.
Cutting Moore outright isn’t realistic. The dead money would be crippling both before and after June 1. A trade, however, sits in that uncomfortable space between difficult and possible.
His cap hit remains identical over the next three seasons. That alone narrows the market. But history suggests it doesn’t close it.
The 49ers faced a similar dilemma with Deebo Samuel a year ago and still found a trade partner willing to absorb the salary. All it took was one team with cap flexibility and urgency.
Chicago may be hoping for the same.
If a trade materializes, the benefits extend beyond relief. Moving Moore’s contract could allow the Bears to address roster weaknesses that became obvious in their Super Bowl push — particularly on defense and along the offensive line.
If no suitor emerges, the Bears face a different problem. An expensive receiver whose role may continue shrinking in an offense built around youth and balance.
That’s the quiet tension hanging over Moore’s future.
There’s no public frustration. No cryptic posts. No demands. But timing tells its own story. With the season officially over, decisions no longer wait for emotion to settle.
Moore has been everything Chicago asked him to be. But the NFL rarely rewards loyalty when math enters the room.
As the Bears regroup after falling short of the Super Bowl, one reality is becoming harder to avoid. Moore may still be under contract — but the door feels ajar.
Whether he walks through it or not may define how aggressively Chicago chooses to chase the moment that slipped away this year.
And sometimes, the most important offseason moves aren’t the loud ones — they’re the ones everyone senses before they’re ever announced.
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