DJ Moore and 2 more Bears trade candidates who will move this offseason

The Chicago Bears have an issue that you would never really associate with the Chicago Bears: too many good offensive players. Thanks to some solid talent identification over the past few seasons, the Bears simply have too many NFL-quality skill position players.

It's a good problem to have, I suppose, but it's still an issue. The Bears could look to unload some of these players this offseason, getting back draft picks that can be used on more immediate positions of need. Three names stick out as the most likely options to be dealt.

WR DJ Moore

The top three wide receivers for the Bears all finished within 30 yards of each other on the season, led by DJ Moore's 682 yards.

On one hand, this showcases how well Caleb Williams did at spreading the football around in 2025. Add in tight end Colston Loveland's 713 yards and you get four really good options for Williams to deliver passes to, which helps keep the defense on its toes.

At the same time, you have to think about the allocation of reesources. If you have four of these guys you can rely on, could you get away with just having three of them, especially when Moore is both older and more expensive than the other three. As they grow and get more comfortable in this offense, you could even make the argument that Moore will be a potential hindrance to their development, as he'll continue to need targets.

That makes this offseason a good time to explore a trade. Moore is still a very talented receiver who the Bears seem happy to have around, but the team also needs to clear out cap space for both now and the future, and Moore is taking up a good chunk of that. His 2026 cap hit accounts for 9.39 percent of Chicago's salary space, which is a lot when you have so many other wide receiver options.

Could you get a third, or even a second, from a team that really needs help at wide receiver this offseason? Losing Moore would make the Bears' offense worse at first, but the talent is there to make up for that, plus the team could still add back more talent at receiver, albeit probably in the form of a cheaper option who won't be able to exactly replicate Moore's production. If the pick they acquire in the deal can be used to upgrade at a position of need on defense, though, then a trade could be a net positive for the

QB Tyson Bagent

Tyson Bagent's name hasn't come up as much as you might have expected this offseason, as far as available quarterbacks go, but there should definitely be teams calling the Bears about him this offseason, and according to general manager Ryan Poles, teams already are.

Bagent is an interesting case, because he hasn't thrown many passes over the past two seasons.

Drafting Caleb Williams ended any chance Bagent had to become Chicago's starting quarterback, but he showed enough to earn the backup role and, in 2025, to ink a two-year extension with the team.

It's that last part that makes a trade attractive. Bagent has two more years on his contract and brings a cap hit of just $4.75 million. If a team thinks he can be the answer under center, they can try to prove that belief out with limited financial risk. There's plenty of time to decide if he's worth bringing back on a longer deal.

The question, though, is whether Bagent has what it takes to be an NFL starter. I'm not thoroughly convinced on that front. There were flashes of potential when Bagent started four games in 2023, but he also threw six interceptions and couldn't lead the team to more than 17 points in three of his four starts. He showed off his mobility, but also had three fumbles. Uneven is the best way to describe his stint.

That doesn't mean teams shouldn't try to trade for the former undrafted free agent, though. A mid-round pick is worth moving if you even remotely think you could have found your quarterback, and if Bagent is bad, then it just sets you up to have a high draft pick in the near future to grab a potential franchise quarterback the old-fashioned way.

TE Cole Kmet

The writing was on the wall for Cole Kmet the moment that the Bears drafted Colston Loveland, starting the clock for Kmet's eventual departure. Loveland's strong play as a rookie only served to accelerate that, as he proved to be not only ready to play at an NFL level but ready to be one of the league's top tight ends.

Kmet finished with his fewest receptions and yards since his rookie season back in 2020, but I don't want to blame that too much on Kmet himself. In addition to Loveland's emergence, Kmet was buried in the pecking order behind a number of players, ranking seventh on the Bears roster in targets. Three of the players with more targets than him weren't even Bears a year prior.

While we haven't always seen it in the NFL, Kmet's athleticism theoretically makes him an appealing upside move. He's especially intriguing as a deep threat, as he ranked sixth among all tight ends in both aDOT and total deep targets last season despite only ranking 33rd at the position in total targets.

As far as the contract goes, Kmet has two more years under contract with a base salary of $8.9 million. Not bad if you're a team that needs a tight end and doesn't want to overpay for a free agent. If you could get Kmet or, say, Cade Otton for the same price, you're taking Kmet, right? I know I would, even if I had to deal a late-round pick to get it done.