Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted it was a tough decision to trade DJ Moore, but having a player like Luther Burden III in the receiving room helps to make that move.
When DJ Moore signed his four-year, $110 million contract extension in July 2024, Ryan Poles called the wide receiver a “cornerstone” of the franchise.
That once-believed cornerstone is now a member of the Buffalo Bills organization, after the Bears sent Moore and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to Buffalo for a 2026 second-round pick in return.
The Bears’ general manager highlighted during his Thursday media availability at Halas Hall as to why Moore is no longer in Chicago.
“Like I said, we're always looking at, there’s a financial piece of it,” Poles said. “But you're also looking at the room. We have (WR) Rome Odunze and how talented he is – I know he went through some injuries last year. You look at what (WR) Luther (Burden III) did, again, that's why you followed the draft report. I did not expect Luther Burden to be where he was. He showed up and showed some big-time flashes. Every time that dude touched the ball, special things could happen. Then obviously our tight end (Colston Loveland) is a special player as well."
Moore had a cap hit of $24.5 million in 2026, so that played a huge factor, and so did the wide receiver room as a whole, specifically with Burden.
When the Bears drafted Burden with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they obviously had Moore on the roster and invested a top-10 pick in Odunze the season before. But with the 6-foot, 210-pound receiver from Missouri still available, he was too enticing to pass up.
It only took three games into his rookie season to showcase those big-time flashes that Poles alluded to. Against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field, Burden caught three passes on three targets for 101 yards and his first career NFL touchdown.
He finished his rookie season with 47 receptions, 652 yards and two touchdowns. He was the team's fourth-leading receiver, but the lead the team in explosive receptions of 20 yards or more with 13.
Diving into some of the more advanced receiving metrics shows that Burden was the top pass-catching targets for the Bears' last season.
It wasn't an easy decision for Poles to trade Moore. He admitted that on Thursday. Moore helped create some of the most memorable plays from the Bears' 2025 season, including the game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 -- a play that was named the Moment of the Year on NFL Honors night.
But the Bears' general manager had to do what was best for his football team and departing from Moore was the most logical option.
Moore played 84.8% of the offensive snaps last season and now those snaps will be distributed to Burden, Odunze and Loveland.
The three will be the core for Caleb Williams as they continue to grow in coach Ben Johnson's offense. With expanded opportunities this season, Burden can build on the flash plays that first caught Poles' attention during his rookie year.