The Bears knew Tuesday was coming.
Once wide receiver DJ Moore set career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns during his first season in Chicago, they knew they'd have to break with their standard operating procedure. The Bears don't usually offer contract extensions to players with two or more years remaining on their deal, but they made an exception for Moore on Tuesday when they signed the wide receiver to a four-year, $110 million extension, the largest in franchise history.
Moore's contract, which will have him in Chicago through the 2029 season, now comes with $82.6 million in guaranteed money. This extension, part of the latest in an exploding wide receiver market, will see Moore be ranked seventh among receivers in annual value and third in total guarantees.
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Since arriving in Chicago, Moore has starred on the field and become a key leader in a young locker room.
When Moore received just two targets in the Bears' season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers, he merely shrugged it off. A number of star receivers would choose to make such a flop about them and their lack of touches. But Moore took the drama-free route and backed quarterback Justin Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. He did that time and time again during a season that became filled with questions about Fields' future in Chicago. Even when it was clear that the Bears were speeding toward a change at quarterback, Moore backed Fields until the end. Once the Bears traded Fields this offseason, Moore immediately started getting to know presumptive No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, and the two worked out before the Bears made the pick official.
Moore quickly became a pillar of general manager Ryan Poles' rebuild, and, as he did with tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, Poles quickly rewarded a team leader.
In breaking with the company line and paying Moore with two years left on his deal, Poles continues to show a young locker room that if you do what is asked of you and perform at a high level, you will be rewarded.
Moore's extension highlights the massive advantage the Bears will have over the next five seasons with Williams on a rookie contract.
As teams like the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins back up the brinks truck for Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa, the Bears have the luxury of using the bulk of their salary cap space to pay/reward top-tier veterans like Moore, who give Williams and the Bears their best chance to win while the quarterback salary number is low.
If all goes according to plan, Moore's deal will end just as Williams is starting the first year of what the Bears hope is a massive second contract for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.
Moore and Williams developed a quick connection early in their time together, and now, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner will have the 27-year-old star receiver alongside him through 2029.
Williams’ fast rising star is one of the many reasons Moore wanted to make Chicago his long-term home.
“That’s part of the reason,” Moore said Wednesday about Williams. “I think Caleb is going to be excellent. He’s going to be a superstar. I just wanted to be a part of that.”
The savviness of the Moore extension isn't just about optimizing a contention window the Bears plan to throw open soon.
CHICAGO BEARS
With the receiver market exploding, the Bears wisely completed this deal before Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk got their news deals.
Paying Moore now also clears the deck for Poles to begin contract extension talks with fellow wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Allen is in the final year of his contract and has said he'd be willing to entertain an extension talk with the Bears if the money aligns with the booming receiver market.
However, this will be the first time Allen hasn't played or lived in California since leaving high school. His family is staying in California for the season, so the two sides probably won't start the extension immediately.
The Bears wanted to take care of Moore first, but they can now start discussions with Allen at any point, knowing their No. 1 wide receiver is happy with his contract situation.
The trade that brought Moore to Chicago could wind up being the moment that ushered in the start of a new era of Bears football. It's the deal that also eventually delivered Williams to the Bears.
Williams and Moore have been tied together since before the former even thought about Chicago becoming his NFL home. Tuesday's extension ensures that will remain the case.
An organization that has long been the place where star wide receivers go to die and franchise quarterbacks flop now, finally, has both in place for the foreseeable future.