Bears Extend DJ Moore, Lock Up Offensive Core For Next Five Years

On the heels of a breakout season in his first year in Chicago, the Bears extended DJ Moore. The 27-year-old wide receiver was not set to hit free agency until 2026, but general manager Ryan Poles made sure to take care of the team’s top playmaker after an offseason that saw three wide receivers ink deals with average annual values north of $30 million.

On Tuesday, Moore signed a four-year, $110 million contract extension ($82 million guaranteed) that will keep him in the Windy City through 2029. The only Chicago players under team control through 2028 are Moore and their two 2024 first-round picks: Quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze. Those three will be the core of the Bears’ offense for the next several seasons.

Chicago has extended three players at premium positions over the past calendar year below the top of the market.

Moore ranks seventh among receivers in average annual value at $27.5 million. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who made second-team All-Pro, signed a four-year, $76 million extension in March that ranks eighth at his position in AAV. And edge rusher Montez Sweat, whom the Bears traded for at the deadline, agreed to a four-year, $98 million extension in November that’s tied for sixth. Sweat recorded double-digit sacks for the first time in his career in 2023 and earned Pro Bowl honors.

Extensions for Moore, Johnson and Sweat continue a run of good business over the last few years for Chicago’s front office that has quickly turned the team around. The Bears acquired Moore in the 2023 trade that netted them the pick they used to draft Williams first overall. Chicago also turned the capital acquired in that deal with the Panthers, which sent the No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to Carolina, into tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, wide receiver Keenan Allen and a 2025 second-round pick, which might be the first pick of the second round.

Those players were originally acquired to build around 2021 first-round quarterback Justin Fields, but the Bears were quick to move on when the opportunity to draft Williams became a reality. Chicago reset its timeline with a rookie quarterback, who will make less than $10 million annually for the next four years while two other NFC North quarterbacks are set to make more than $50 million per year.

The Bears’ passing offense should take a real step forward with Williams, Moore, Odunze, Allen and tight end Cole Kmet.

Though Moore has never made a Pro Bowl, he finished sixth in receiving yards in 2023 on a Bears offense that ranked 27th in passing yards per game. Moore set career-highs across the board with 136 targets, 96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He also hasn’t missed a game since 2020.

Moore’s first live game action with Williams under center won’t come during Thursday’s Hall of Fame game against the Texans as coach Matt Eberflus has said Chicago will sit its starters . The Aug. 10 preseason game against the Bills might be the first time fans get to see Williams drop back and throw to Moore, a connection the Bears have made sure will be in place for years to come.

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