Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore speaks with the media during a news conference at Halas Hall on ... [+]
While DJ Moore just signed a $110 million extension with the Bears, his 2024 salary cap number will be reduced to $7.2 million in the four-year deal, according to the website Spotrac. It had been $16.05 million in the contract he signed before being traded from Carolina.
The difference is significant. It increases the Bears’ top-51 salary cap number to almost $20.4 million, creating flexibility for an addition during training camp or, more likely, at mid-season.
The Moore deal fits within the long-term planning of third-year General Manager Ryan Poles, who has rebuilt the roster with a young core and a noteworthy group of targets for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The extension announced last week was somewhat surprising, as the Bears’ No. 1 receiver still had two years left on his contract. But Poles did not want any question about the hierarchy within a group of receivers that includes veteran Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, who was acquired with the ninth pick of the draft, eight behind Williams.
Moore’s average annual value in the new deal works out to $27.5 million. That makes him the seventh highest paid receiver, behind Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Davante Adams.
Moore is receiving a $20 million signing bonus and a base salary of only $3 million this season. He will go onto the books with a cap hit of $24.9 million next year and $28.5 million in ’26. His deal gives him an opt-out after the ’26 season.
Moore, who caught 96 passes for 1364 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the Bears, is entering his seventh NFL season. He’s 27 and won’t enter his 30s until the 2027 season. The contract extension makes it affordable for the Bears to drop him if he can’t maintain his performance, as the dead-cap hits are only $8 million in ’27 and $4 million in ’28, according to Spotrac.
The terms of the deal leave the Bears with a current salary cap figure for ’25 that is $52,008,973 below the projected cap of $273.3 million. They rank 10th among NFL teams in flexibility although that figure will be reduced significantly if Poles extends Keenan Allen and Teven Jenkins. who are eligible for free agency next year.
Jenkins, a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, is a veteran in the young offensive line. Pro Football Focus graded him to be the 14th best guard in the league last season. Allen, an 11-year-veteran, is 32 but caught 108 passes for 1243 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The Bears acquired him from the Los Angeles Chargers in a trade last March.