Coming off a season in 2025 in which he had career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682) — all while simultaneously about to carry the largest cap hit ($28.5 million) of his career heading into 2026 — newest Buffalo Bills wide receiver D.J. Moore didn’t take anything off the table this offseason in regard to his upcoming future when questions began swirling around Radio Row last month about his status with the Chicago Bears just prior to Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, roughly 2,673 miles away from his newfound home in Western New York.
Moore didn’t necessarily want to move on from the team that had just recently traded for him in a blockbuster deal with the Carolina Panthers back in 2023, but he understood the business side of the NFL.
He’s no stranger to it — clearly.
As everyone knows, the league’s acronym actually stands for “Not For Long” amongst its constituents.
So, when the news dropped back on March 5 around Noon ET that Chicago was shipping off Moore and his services elsewhere, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native wasn’t totally caught by surprise.
Despite all of his success up until this point, which has included 8,213 career receiving yards and 41 career receiving touchdowns, nothing was going to shock him — Moore knew anything was a possibility.
But, as is the case with any sudden change, it took the stellar receiver a few minutes to process the transaction that had just taken place.
However, when further word trickled down that Buffalo was the destination he’d be headed to . . . that’s when the emotions quickly began to switch from angst to pure excitement as the 5-foot-11, 210-pound wideout stated he was instantly “ready to roll.”
Since then, it’s been nothing but smiles and pleasantries shared amongst everyone inside the building at One Bills Drive, with the overall energy in the entire organization and level of eagerness to begin working being quite palpable.
“A few people reached out — Josh (Allen) reached out. I can’t (name them all). It’s just a list of names that reached out,” Moore said in his introductory press conference with local media through Zoom on March 12.
“It’s (been) a warm welcome, and I’m just glad to be here. And, Josh is just — Josh is ready for me to get there and get going.”
It’s not surprising to hear that about Buffalo’s quarterback, especially considering how much of a topic of discussion the position of wide receiver has been amongst the fanbase and the media since the departure of former First Team All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs, whom the Bills — ironically — also traded for with an NFC North team back in 2020 when they sent a first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the rights to Diggs.
At that time, though, Buffalo was getting a 26-year-old receiver coming off an explosive 1,130-yard season, and not a soon-to-be 29-year-old wideout hoping to bounce back from the worst statistical output of his career.
For that reason, some have viewed the latest trade for the former Chicago star as a bit less aggressive than the one six years ago, especially considering that it only cost a second-round pick in return for Moore and a fifth-round selection in this year’s draft from the Bears.
So, should fans temper their expectations?
Well, Moore certainly doesn’t think so. He believes there’s still plenty left in the tank, and he’s out to prove it.
But, he’s also not the type of person to put any amount of added pressure on himself. Instead, he plans to let it all unfold how it should.
“I think I’m a combination of all different things. I play hard, play tough — nothing really bothers me to go out and do. Just all around (I) just have fun, and just go out there and (like) making exciting plays,” Moore said Thursday.
“I’m not old. I don’t think I got let go (from) teams because I wasn’t wanted, and I think I’m greatly wanted here (in Buffalo). It’s going to be interesting because I never look at any season as (if) they’re going to be the same. I just go into it with a free mind (with) no goals for the past (few seasons). Like this last past year I didn’t have no goals. So, I think this year I’m going to go into the same (mindset) with it because it had turned out to be a winning season.”
And that winning season he speaks of isn’t something the former University of Maryland standout takes lightly, due in large part to the fact that it marked the first such season of his eight-year career.
That’s right . . . you read that correctly.
2025 marked the first winning season of Moore’s NFL tenure.
A 2018 draft pick of the Panthers, he won just 29 games during his five seasons in Carolina and managed to help Chicago to only 12 wins between 2023 and 2024 before nearly matching that total last year with 11 wins in the regular season before ultimately falling in the NFC divisional round to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime.
In his first two playoff appearances ever, Moore managed to haul in 11 receptions on 15 targets for 116 yards (58 YPG avg.), five first downs, and two touchdowns — one of which was the game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round.
Needless to say, the longtime veteran seemed to relish the opportunity to play on the bigger stage, proving to be a reliable target time and time again for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams in both postseason contests.
That connection and chemistry wasn’t always there throughout the year between Williams and Moore, though, which is why Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles even considered the idea of moving on from the former first-round pick this offseason.
It had nothing to do with sensing a diminished product on the field from the player who former teammates have affectionately dubbed “Wolverine.”
No, that wasn’t it in the least.
Poles even spoke on this very topic during his own press conference with Chicago media members just days ago.
“I knew that that was going to be tough for our organization,” Poles said when speaking at his press conference this past Thursday.
“I’ve mentioned this before — my son is a passionate fan of the Chicago Bears. He was not very happy with me at all (after the trade), but I think it was cool D.J. sent him a video telling him not to be mad at Dad — it’s part of the business. So, like I said, I appreciate (from him).”
Ultimately, the Bears received multiple offers from teams throughout the league for Moore’s services, but, due to how much respect Poles has for the player, he decided that making it work with Buffalo would be the best landing spot for the longtime veteran.
It’s clear that Moore thinks so, too.
Now, it’s up to him and his new quarterback to make the chemistry click on the field sooner rather than later.
The Bills are a team that is desperate to finally get over the “proverbial playoff wall”, and they’ve identified the former Maryland Terrapin star as a player who can help them do just that — and quickly.
Known as a physical receiver with sound, yet not flashy route-running technique, and who can threaten all levels of a defense, Moore is just one of five players with 50 or more catches on throws traveling 20-plus yards downfield in the last five seasons according to ESPN Insights.
The other four?
CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, and George Pickens — which is undeniably good company to be mentioned with.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Allen’s new top-target also has totaled the fifth-most receiving yardage against man coverage — an area sorely lacking from the receiving corps last season — since joining Chicago back in 2023. He has also produced the third-most receiving EPA (+63.1) versus man coverage in that span.
So, despite what some analysts might want to throw at Moore in the form of criticism, there’s clearly still plenty for Allen to work with in terms of throwing to his new receiver.
He’ll undoubtedly be the best counterpart that the quarterback’s had since he had the pleasure of tossing passes to John Brown, Cole Beasley, and Stefon Diggs all those years ago.
In fact, Moore might also be the best leader the receiving group has ever had with Allen at the helm, as well, which was evident during his response to a question asking what it takes from a number-one option in a passing offense for the team to have sustained success as a whole, and not just individual success from one player.
“Is your receiver one bringing anybody along with him (under his wing) to take some of the pressure off of (himself or the one) that is quoted to be the receiver one? So, if that’s not happening, then the receiver one is out there just playing ball and getting strapped (by the defense) . . . we have to go out there and just play as a unit,” Moore said in regard to his impending status as Buffalo’s de facto top target.
“I mean, everybody does different things. So far from what I’ve seen, everybody in the room — not everybody does the same exact thing — and I just look to come in and just be a mold and just fit in any way I can, and just go with it from there and just hope everybody is just ready to work.”
That answer should be music to the ears of fans and coaches alike as the team has struggled to gain much production at all from its receivers since the departure of the aforementioned Diggs, who was another former Maryland Terrapin the Bills had identified to help take the team to new heights, which he did.
Buffalo reached its first AFC Championship in 27 years after making the bold trade to acquire the receiver that season, just narrowly missing out on reaching the pinnacle of the NFL.
Now, following the move made for Moore, it’s time to bust down that door . . . and maybe break some tables along the way.
But, not yet. There’s still work to be done.
He’ll be ready to see members of the Bills Mafia breaking through the generic folding tables they purchased from Wegmans when that parade bus comes rolling down Allen Street — that IS one goal he does have.
“I got a taste of what everybody’s been getting a taste of here in Buffalo. So, (we’ve) got to get that far and just get over the hump is the next step. So, all around — for me, for this organization, for everything, for everybody — (the objective) is just going to be getting to that next step,” Moore added.
“I’m excited for the new challenge and the new journey. I think my time in Chicago — it ran its course, and it ended on a great note with it being a great season and how it ended, and now it’s time to do that here.”
Editor’s babble: Thanks to John Green for his many contributions to our blog. You can also find John on X @JGreen_PRsports.
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