Blockbuster Alert: Are The Bears Secretly Trading DJ Moore To New York?
We’re approaching the time of year when trades start happening. There is always a series of moves before the start of free agency. That day arrives on March 11th. The Chicago Bears are no strangers to it, having secured Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson at this time last year. That is why rumors tend to arrive thick and fast. One involving the Bears just popped up this past week, involving wide receiver DJ Moore. It isn’t a secret his down season last year and large contract have made some wonder if his days in Chicago are numbered.
MisterTD is an account on Twitter (X). He claimed the Bears and New York Giants are engaged in trade talks centered around a player swap. Moore would go to New York, while Chicago would receive pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The logic behind the trade is straightforward. The Giants are about to lose wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to free agency, while star Malik Nabers is coming off a season-ending knee injury. They need more credible options for young quarterback Jaxon Dart. Conversely, Thibodeaux will be a free agent next year. New York has already paid Brian Burns and must set money aside for Abdul Carter in the future. They can’t afford to pay Thibodeaux, so trading him makes sense, and the Bears badly need another quality edge option.
There are some problems with this DJ Moore rumor.
For one, the Giants aren’t in the greatest position to make this kind of move. Yes, they do need help at wide receiver. Would Moore provide that? Of course. The problem is cap space. New York currently has just $5 million available. That isn’t close to enough to handle Moore’s $28.5 million hit. They have ways to find more cap space, but several involve moving money down the line through restructures. That is something teams often prefer avoiding. So they would have to really want Moore to do this, unless the Bears sweeten the deal with draft capital.
On the other side, there is no question that Thibodeaux would give Chicago’s pass rush a jolt. Last season was a frustrating one for him, notching only 2.5 sacks. However, much of that came from health problems. The edge rusher missed the final seven games of the season with a shoulder injury. In 2024, he missed five games due to a wrist injury. You can see why the Giants are reluctant to pay him. Still, he had 11.5 sacks in the last season he played a full season in 2023. It would be a calculated gamble for the Bears.
| Season | Games | Total Pressures | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 32 | 2.5 | 0 | Season ended early (shoulder injury). |
| 2024 | 12 | 42 | 5.5 | 1 | Career-best pressure percentage (12.6%). |
| 2023 | 17 | 46 | 11.5 | 3 | Led Giants in sacks. |
| 2022 | 14 | 40 | 4.0 | 2 | PFWA All-Rookie Team selection. |
This trade will be predicated on Thibodeaux’s contract.
As stated above, he is in the last year of his rookie contract. He’ll be a free agent in 2027. This entire trade is centered around one question: Would the Bears see him as a long-term option or a rental for 2026? If it’s the former, they might be willing to give up a decent draft pick along with Moore to get the trade done. On the other hand, if they know they won’t want to sink a massive contract extension into a, to this point, unreliable player, then they won’t give up much in the way of draft picks.
Let’s be honest. This entire trade idea feels unrealistic. Yes, the simple idea of DJ Moore for Thibodeaux works because it helps both teams fill key needs. The problem is the numbers don’t add up when crunched. New York doesn’t have the cap space to spare. Chicago doesn’t like taking risks on players with known health issues. Maybe this rumor is correct, and both teams are prepared to give it a try. Still, it’s probably best not to buy into this idea too much. Other options exist for both sides.