Named Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year in 2017, D.J Moore declared for the NFL draft in 2018. Due to an emphatic Combine performance and rollicking numbers in college, D.J became the first wide receiver to get picked in the draft.
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Roped in by the Carolina Panthers, D.J went on to churn out fairly decent numbers for them. However, after persisting with him for five seasons, the Panthers have decided to move on. Moore has been traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the first overall pick.
D.J Moore’s 2023 Salary
While the D.J Moore trade will be made official post March 15, the two teams in question have struck common ground. As far as Moore’s contract details are concerned, he signed a three year $62 million contract extension with the Panthers last year through the 2025 season.
This means that now, after the end of the 2022 season, Moore still has 3 years left on that contract. Moreover, around $41.5 million of the extension is guaranteed. As reported by NFL Insider Albert Breer, the team from Chicago would have to pay around an average of $17.4 million per year to Moore. This looks like a good deal considering the WR’s age and past experience.
“So in a world where No. 1 WRs were getting $25 million per in new money last year, the Bears get DJ Moore at ages 26, 27 and 28 at an average of $17.4 million per. And do it in a year when Jakobi Meyers and DJ Chark are the top UFA WRs,” Albert recently Tweeted.
At the combine, I had someone say to me that the cost for teams in Top 5 to go up to 1 was around two 1s and two 2s. To go down to 9, the Bears got that, and WR DJ Moore. And Moore’s contract? A huge asset. He’s due …
• $20.165M in 2023.
• $16.05M in ’24.
• $16.05M in ’25.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 10, 2023
Bears still have the highest cap space heading into the free agency
While the Bears had to give away the first overall pick, they have got plenty of positives in return from the Panthers. Along with an experienced receiver in D.J Moore, the Bears will also get the No.9 and No. 61 pick this year, Panthers’ first round pick in 2024, and a second rounder in 2025.
Moreover, as reported by Spotrac, D.J will have salary cap hits of $20.2 million in 2023, $16.1 million in 2024, $16.1 million in 2025. This means that even with Moore’s $20.2 million cap hit in 2023, the Bears will have $75 million cap space heading into free agency which is highest among all franchises.
In his 5 season in the NFL, Moore has accumulated over 5,2000 receiving yards and has scored 21 touchdowns as well. Moreover, last year, he recorded 888 yards and 7 touchdowns. These aren’t bad numbers and given the fact that he is at the peak of his career, the Bears seems to have pulled off a win-win deal.
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