INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (104.3 The Score) – The Bears want to retain veteran receiver DJ Moore but are also considering many paths to getting under the salary cap, general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday at the NFL Combine.
The Bears know they need to make “difficult decisions” this offseason, Poles said, and they’re in a period of evaluating the roster. To get under the salary cap and then free up space to use on free agents, the Bears will need to restructure contracts and/or release players. One player who could be a trade candidate is the 28-year-old Moore, who has four years remaining on a contract worth more than $100 million.
"I got to have conversations and kind of see what the best combination of players we can bring in," Poles said. “(But) we want him here. We think highly of him. He's a great teammate. He has been productive pretty consistently over the last couple years that he has been here. So, I have nothing but great things to say about him. But this is the time where we have to look at all the different scenarios and see what can allow us to put the best team we can put out there. There's relationships there, there's a lot there that makes it really, really difficult. He's a guy we want here, but we have to look at all the different scenarios."
Moore had 50 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games in the 2025 season. That marked a noticeable drop in production from his first two seasons in Chicago, over which he had a combined 194 receptions. Poles indicated that drop-off came in large part due to how Bears head coach Ben Johnson utilizes his talent on offense.
"Each guy brings something different to the table," Johnson said. "And that’s really what we’re looking to generate from all our skill positions: How can we best complement each other? Who’s got the speed? We need versatility.
Guys that can line up all over the place. Certainly guys that have great hands.
I think when you look at a 17-game season or 17-games plus when you make the postseason, you need all hands all deck. Because the truth of the matter is that not everybody is going to stay available throughout that.”
Releasing Moore isn't a viable option for the Bears this offseason given the structure of his contract, but Poles indicated he has heard from teams around the league regarding trading for players on Chicago’s roster. Part of the reason other teams have called the Bears is because they know they still need to get under the salary cap.
The Bears must get under the salary cap by March 11, when the new league year begins. The team released veteran linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga last week, but as of Tuesday, no other players have been cut loose for salary cap considerations.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for TheScoreChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.