With DJ Moore now in Buffalo, Ben Johnson will have to lean on Luther Burden III to maintain Chicago’s explosive middle-of-the-field passing attack.
The Buffalo Bills started phase three of offseason training with their first OTA practice today.
Videos from the practice circulated on social media and sporting a No. 2 jersey in royal blue, crimson red and white was wide receiver DJ Moore. The Chicago Bears traded the veteran wideout this offseason and a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
Moore spent three seasons with the Bears, setting new career highs in receptions (98), receiving yards (1,364) and touchdown catches (8). Although Moore had a career-low 61 receptions and just 798 receiving yards in his last year in Chicago, he still helped create some of the most memorable moments of the 2025 season.
His 46-yard walk-off touchdown touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 was named Moment of the Year. In the wild-card round against the Packers, Moore caught the game-deciding touchdown to give the Bears a 31-27 victory.
Those moments will last forever, but Moore's time in Chicago is over. Now head coach Ben Johnson will have to adjust, but he does have a handful of playmakers at his disposal: Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Kalif Raymond and Cole Kmet.
One area where Moore excelled at last season was making plays in the middle of the field. According to PFF, Moore caught 36 passes on 51 attempts for 378 yards and four touchdowns in between the numbers. He was credited with just two drops in that portion of the football field.
DJ Moore's Receiving Chart via PFFWhen looking at strictly the receiver position, Burden would be the likely candidate to replace Moore's production in the middle of the field. Despite a slow start to his rookie season, Burden caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns. On receptions between the numbers, Burden caught 29 of 39 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown. He did have three drops as well.
Luther Burden III's Receiving Chart via PFFGeneral manager Ryan Poles highlighted Burden's development as a key reason why the Bears felt comfortable moving on from the veteran receiver. Other major factors included Loveland, who led the team in receiving yards and inside-the-numbers production, and Odunze, who is heading into his third year.
Poles isn't the only one who sees Burden's potential as quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum both expect Burden to have a big year in 2026. If last season was just the floor of what the talented receiver can do, then Burden will be able to fill the void created with Moore's departure.
