DJ Moore was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2018. He played five seasons for them. The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder then joined the Chicago Bears in 2023. He played three seasons for them (2023 to 2025).In 2024, the Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams as their 1st overall pick in the first round. He played two seasons with DJ Moore. Come the 2026 offseason, Chicago traded Moore to the Buffalo Bills. In a recent press conference, Williams spoke very highly of the veteran wide receiver. And also admitted to missing him.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams misses Bills wideout DJ Moore
It has just been two years for the Chicago QB in the league, but he seems to understand the dynamics of it thoroughly. For two years, he played with a wide receiver. A wide receiver to a quarterback is probably like cheese to a pizza. They’re incomplete without one another.Throughout his tenure, Williams had Moore. Now, in his third stint, he will not have him, as he was just traded to the Josh Allen franchise, the Buffalo Bills. In his recent press conference, he acknowledged the fact that he misses his wideout. But also understands that there’s a business side to the league.“DJ (Moore)’s a pro. He’s been that since he’s been in the league,” Williams said. “On the football side of it, you’re going to miss him being out there making plays for you, for me, for the team. On the other side of the football side, you do understand there is a business side to it. You’ve got to roll with the punches. I don’t have those choices to make. So, you kinda understand it from there.On my side of it, the personal side, you miss the guy. I’ve been around him for two years. We’d go over to his house to play cards, we eat food, we watch games. You know, the guy’s come over to my house. You build up a relationship on a personal level. It sucks that he has to go.”Williams admitted there is a business side to the league, but he also added a personal touch to it: “It sucks that he has to go.” For some players, football may not be just about winning, but about the relationships and bonds formed along the way…Williams did express his best wishes for Moore, stating, “We do one of the best jobs in the NFL, and if somebody has to go, or if we’re trading somebody, we typically try to send them to a really good spot. So, I think they did a good job sending him (DJ Moore) somewhere like that (Buffalo Bills). They got a good quarterback (Josh Allen), good coach (Joe Brady), and all that. I’m excited for him, for the rest of his career. Let’s see what he does.”
DJ Moore contract
The Maryland alum signed a four-year, $110M contract with Chicago in 2024, including a $20M signing bonus, $81M in guaranteed money, and a $27.5M average annual salary. In 2026, he will earn a $1.3M base salary with a $22.1M restructure bonus, and a $250K workout bonus, while carrying a $6.7M cap hit and a $61M dead cap value. His total career earnings over eight years are $96M. Now, who will fill the space left by Moore?
Kalif Raymond , Rome Odunze , Luther Burden III to strengthen Chicago’s offense
Kalif Raymond is expected to fill the void left by DJ Moore. The 31-year-old wideout and return specialist played for the Jared Goff’s team, the Detroit Lions, from 2021 to 2025. He signed a one-year, $3.5M contract with Chicago this offseason. But he may not be expected to be WR1. Rome Odunze who also joined the Bears in 2024 with Williams may take up WR1 role. 2025 draft pick Luther Burden III is expected to be a high-end WR2. Williams spoke highly of him too. “His growth from when he got here to the end of the season, it was enjoyable to watch,” Williams said. “It was motivating to watch, exciting to watch. We know who Luther is. We know, he’s a competitor. We know when he gets the ball in his hands, he’s a problem child, as he says. So, being able to grow this year, with him knowing the offense and things like that, being able to grow and us getting on the same page more and more with small things that you may not see or hear about, it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be important for us.”
