The Bills have struggled to surround Josh Allen with much receiving talent in recent campaigns. While Buffalo's roster is littered with standouts, from James Cook to Dion Dawkins, the lack of star-power at the X has proven glaring, particularly in postseason play.
The Bills front office went to work in its pursuit of a Grade-A pass-catcher, negotiating with various teams in the hopes of landing an impact player at wide receiver. The staff settled on DJ Moore, sending a 2026 second-round pick and 2026 fifth-round pick to the Bears to acquire the 29-year-old wide receiver.
Moore is not one of the sport's elite pass-catchers. He is multiple years removed from his last 1,000-yard campaign and struggled at times with Chicago. Still, he's better than the vast majority of what Buffalo has. That was enough for the Bills, who hope his presence can serve as a boon to a roster still seeking its first Super Bowl appearance with Allen.
With that, here's a look at Buffalo's WR depth chart after trading for DJ Moore.
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DJ Moore trade details
Bills receive:
WR DJ Moore
Bears receive:
2026 second round pick
2026 fifth round pick
Bills WR depth chart
WR WR WR
First-team DJ Moore Keon Coleman Jalen Virgil
Second-team Khalil Shakir Tyrell Shavers Curtis Samuel
Third-team Joshua Palmer Mecole Hardman Stephen Gosnell
Moore surges to the top of the Bills WR depth chart upon his arrival in Buffalo. He hasn't been at his best in recent campaigns, failing to eclipse the 1,000-yard threshold in 2024 and falling below 700 yards in 2025. Still, Moore has four 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt, two of which came under Joe Brady's tutelage in Carolina.
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Brady served as the Panthers offensive coordinator during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Moore combined for 2,350 yards and eight touchdowns during that spell, establishing himself as one of the league's better pass-catchers in the process.
While his marks in Chicago -- 2023 notwithstanding -- were markedly lower than during his years on the Bears, Moore was still the Bears' second-leading receiver. That comes with a caveat; Moore started all 17 games in 2025, while Rome Odunze and Luther Burden missed five and two games apiece. He accrued just 21 more yards than Odunze and 30 more yards than Burden, suggesting that they featured more prominently in Chicago's attack than Moore.
Nevertheless, the Bills are in dire need of reinforcements to their wide receiver room. As such, Moore should land the lion's share of targets in an attack that has been fairly pass-happy over the years.
Moore should also wrestle attention off of Khalil Shakir, a fearsome route-runner whose frame suggests he would be more adept in the slot. Shakir has been one of Allen's go-to targets since Stefon Diggs' exit following the 2023 season. Allen is expected to go to the Shakir well once more in 2026, albeit in a different manner to the way he had done so in prior campaigns.
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Joshua Palmer, Mecole Hardman and Curtis Samuel are all slated to return to the Queen City in 2026. Moore's arrival could spell danger for all three, although Palmer is likely to start the year as WR3, barring something drastic.
Keon Coleman, a 2024 second-round pick who struggled for game time last season, could find himself culled sooner rather than later. The 22-year-old has the frame of a top-tier wideout. But his production has lagged in marked ways. He was the subject of multiple DNPs and saw his numbers dwindle compare to his maiden campaign. Coleman has youth on his side. But Moore's acquisition suggests Buffalo's front office isn't happy with his performances. It would take quite the turnaround to get back into Brady's good graces.
Moore and Shakir aren't alone in their pass-catching prowess. They're joined by an enchanting collection of tight ends, including Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Both players have offered timely contributions to the Bills' attack. They'll be expected to recreate those interventions in 2026 and beyond.
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DJ Moore career stats
Year Team Games Receptions Yards TDs
2018 Panthers 16 55 788 2
2019 Panthers 15 87 1,175 4
2020 Panthers 15 66 1,193 4
2021 Panthers 17 93 1,157 4
2022 Panthers 17 63 888 7
2023 Bears 17 96 1,364 8
2024 Bears 17 98 966 6
2025 Bears 17 50 682 6
Total 2 teams 131 608 8,213 41
Is DJ Moore still good?
At his pomp, Moore was one of the NFL's more productive pass-catchers. He ranked 13th in receptions, sixth in receiving yards and joint-eighth in receiving touchdowns in 2023, his first season in the Windy City.
Moore's production staled as his time in Chicago wore on. He posted career lows in receptions and yardage in 2025 despite playing a full season.
Some of that could be circumstantial. The Bears boasted a fairly impressive collection of talent in their pass-catching positions, with Odunze, Burden, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet all making their mark at different points of the year. Moore struck pay dirt twice during the postseason.
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But even that playoff run left something to be desired. Moore appeared to stop short on his route in Chicago's overtime loss to the Rams in the NFC divisional round, setting the stage for a game-sealing interception and field goal.
This was the end for DJ Moore in Chicago….Bills sure hope it’s better effort moving forward. https://t.co/ygF3kF3em7 pic.twitter.com/u0K6qaIXRC
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) March 5, 2026
A change of scenery might help Moore, who will turn 29 ahead of the 2026 season. Allen should be able to get him the ball with impunity. Still, Moore is no sure thing at this stage in his career.