The Chicago Bears entered the 2026 offseason knowing difficult decisions were coming. But few expected one of the clearest signals about DJ Mooreās future to arrive not through a press conference or a trade rumorābut through a coaching departure.

When offensive coordinator Declan Doyle left Chicago to take the same role with the Baltimore Ravens, the move was framed as a promotion. New city. A former MVP quarterback. Full playcalling control. Perfectly reasonable.
Quietly, though, it changed the math for DJ Moore.

Mooreās name has hovered around trade discussions for months. His production has dipped. His cap hit looms large. And perhaps most telling, the Bearsā offensive identity has begun to drift away from him.
Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland are all on rookie contracts, all ascending, and all increasingly central to Chicagoās long-term vision.
That alone made Moore expendable.
Doyleās exit may have made him movable.
In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson is coming off a season that would be considered disappointing by his own standards.
The Ravensā offense lacked consistency and, at times, urgency in the passing game. Zay Flowers flashed, but beyond him, the Ravens lacked a true difference-maker who could consistently tilt coverage.
Thatās where Moore enters the conversation.

At his best, Moore isnāt a complementary piece. Heās a focal point. A receiver capable of commanding attention, winning after the catch, and functioning as a quarterbackās security blanket.
Pairing him with Flowers would give Baltimore something itās lackedāa legitimate one-two punch that doesnāt require Lamar Jackson to be perfect on every snap.
The familiarity with Doyle only sharpens the idea.

Doyle knows Moore. Heās seen what worksāand what doesnāt. He understands how Moore fits into a system built around mobility, spacing, and improvisation. That comfort matters when teams are evaluating not just talent, but risk.
From Chicagoās side, the logic is cold but clear.
Moore carries a massive cap number for a team shifting toward younger, cheaper skill players.
Moving him would free up space, reduce redundancy in the receiver room, and accelerate the transition toward an offense built around Odunze and Burden. It would also signal a philosophical shift: production alone isnāt enoughātiming matters.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has room to operate. Spotrac projects the Ravens with over $22 million in available cap space, flexibility that could easily be manipulated to absorb Mooreās contract.
For a team chasing contention, spending that space on a proven receiver rather than a draft gamble makes sense.
And for Moore himself, the appeal may be personal.
Chicagoās offense is evolving. Targets will be spread thinner. The spotlight will move. In Baltimore, Moore wouldnāt just be another name in the rotationāheād be an answer to a problem. A veteran presence on a team built to win now, not later.
None of this guarantees a trade will happen. Chicago hasnāt committed publicly. Baltimore hasnāt acknowledged interest. But the alignment is difficult to ignore.

A former coordinator leaves town. A new quarterback situation demands urgency. A receiver sits at the intersection of cost, fit, and timing.
Sometimes, trades arenāt sparked by conflict. Theyāre sparked by opportunity.
And Declan Doyleās departure may have quietly created the cleanest one yet.
If DJ Moore does leave Chicago, it likely wonāt be framed as a failure. It will be framed as a resetāfor a team ready to turn the page, and a player who might benefit from doing the same.
The Bears didnāt announce a rebuild.
They didnāt announce a fire sale.
But with one coaching move, they may have just tipped their hand.
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