Three seasons that DJ Moore had been with the Chicago Bears were ended unexpectedly when the club acquired him from the Carolina Panthers. After being traded by Carolina to Chicago in 2023, Moore had the best season ever, with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards, and 8 touchdowns, which led to his four-year contract of $110 million, making him the highest-paid player in the history of the franchise.
However, the acquisition of quarterback Caleb Williams did not yield the results that the Chicago Bears could expect. Moore had 966 yards in 2024 and only 682 yards with just 50 receptions in the 2025 season, as it was claimed that "Williams didn't have a ton of trust" in his star receiver.
In spite of two brilliant touchdowns during games with Green Bay that silenced the trade speculation momentarily, it became clear in March 2026 that DJ Moore would leave Chicago soon. In fact, the Bears traded Moore to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick, receiving in return a fifth-round choice.
For Chicago, it was the way to develop new talents like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III.
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It took little time for Moore to prove that he was worth his weight in gold. In his first game as a member of the Bills, a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 1, Moore hauled in five of eight targets for 100 yards and a touchdown, including a 43-yard scoring reception from Allen. He also helped secure a 46-yard defensive pass interference call to set up another touchdown in favor of Buffalo.
The analysts did not miss this. Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon called it "one of the top dozen or so games of Moore's career," a statement that gains weight when we consider that Moore has been around since being picked in the 2018 first round out of Maryland. The fantasy analysts were also impressed with Moore.
FantasyPros reported that Moore led the Bills in targets with 24.1 percent of the team's and also led in first-read percentage with 33.3 percent. It seems that offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was coaching the Bills for the first time, created his game plan with Moore in mind.
The good fortune came to a halt in Week 2. In the Bills' Thursday night game against the Detroit Lions, Moore got hurt in the second quarter and had to leave with a shoulder injury and a stinger. He never completed a reception in the game because he only had one carry for the Jets sweep, which resulted in a loss of one yard.
Coach Joe Brady gave no immediate update about Moore's status following the game but indicated more information would be known by Friday.
But considering his performance in his first match, it is safe to say that he fits well within the ranks of the Bills and is a valuable addition to their offense.
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As he enters his ninth season in the NFL, Moore has recorded 613 receptions, 8,313 receiving yards, and 42 receiving touchdowns through his career playing for Carolina (2018-2022), Chicago (2023-2025), and now Buffalo. At the age of 29, Moore remains one of the physically gifted wide receivers in the league.
Also, adding to the intrigue surrounding Moore's future with the Bills is the fact that the $23.5 million contract he signed for the year of 2026 is guaranteed, as will the 2027 contract soon be locked in as well.
The combination with Allen is important for the future ambitions of Buffalo as a team to win the championship. Buffalo has been in the AFC Championship twice since Allen became their quarterback and has lost each time against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bringing in a wide receiver of Moore's level, who would be able to distract opponents' attention and create explosive plays, is considered a step towards winning.
