Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a decision that was at least partly cost-driven when they traded wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. But they put themselves in a range of teams that they would surely otherwise like to avoid being associated with when they went about their plan.
The Bears are banking on internal development and a platoon effort to make up for the loss, adding veteran Kalif Raymond and rookie Zavion Thomas as their most noteworthy newcomers.
However, the question remains whether that will be enough and if the approach is correct.
Bears Among Bad Company After Trade
DJ Moore Trade Dropped Bears Down Rankings
Per Sharp Football Analysis on X on July 19, the Bears are spending the fifth-fewest cap dollars on their wide receivers.
Only one other 2025 playoff team is spending less heading into 2026, and that is the Los Angeles Chargers. LA also had the fifth-ranked defense overall and the 10th-ranked scoring group backing their offense.
The Bears’ defense ranked 29th overall and 23rd during the 2025 regular season.
They survived off turnovers defensively, but allowed four of the five players who started most of the 2025 season to leave in free agency this spring.
Two other teams–the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs–both spent less than the Bears, too. They missed the postseason in 2025, but both franchises have been perennial postseason contenders.
They both also have elite quarterbacks.
The Bears believe they do, too, in Caleb Williams. He showcased his playmaking ability with a more expensive group last season, but one that was still largely comprised of the same players. Moving Moore saved the Bears $16.5 million, which they needed to upgrade elsewhere. That difference would put them between the two Super Bowl teams from last year.
More will be expected for 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze, 2025 second-rounder Luther Burden III, and even second-year former undrafted free agent Jahdae Walker.
Regardless, the Bears are taking a counterintuitive approach on paper.
More Money, More Problems
Good players show themselves long before they receive large contracts. So, a chart putting the Bears near the bottom of the pay scale now could look very different by season’s end. That is what the Bears are hoping for from their group, particularly when it comes to Burden.
The Bears will also lean on second-year first-round pick Colston Loveland. The tight end proved he is a dangerous and versatile playmaker in the passing game.
Moreover, paying big money for wide receivers does not guarantee success.
Only one team in the top five in spending on WRs made the playoffs in 2025. That was the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had (an older, but still effective enough version of) Aaron Rodgers. There are also different factors beyond WR pay and QB play that impact playoff eligibility.
Williams, more than any other player on the Bears’ roster, will determine how far the Bears go this season after their resurgent campaign in 2025.
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