The Bears’ biggest offseason move came when they traded the No. 1 pick to the Panthers in exchange for two first-rounders, two second-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore.
The acquisition of Moore has been the biggest offseason addition, giving quarterback Justin Fields a bonafide No. 1 receiver, which should help jumpstart this Chicago passing game.
It’s been made apparent that Moore was a requirement for general manager Ryan Poles during trade negotiations, and there’s further confirmation from Moore’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Rosenhaus gave some insight on the trade during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, where he made it clear the Panthers didn’t want to trade Moore — but Poles essentially forced their hand.
“By no means did the Panthers want to trade DJ, but the Bears were smart,” Rosenhaus said. “They knew the Panthers wanted to draft a quarterback, they were insistent on getting DJ as part of that package, and they landed a No. 1 wide receiver for Justin Fields.”
We appreciate this..
Here’s @DrewJRosenhaus explaining the sitch pic.twitter.com/ScZ0Je2bfY
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 5, 2023
Rosenhaus believes this trade is a win-win for both the Bears and Panthers, assuming C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young — or whichever quarterback Carolina takes — pans out.
Moore was a big sticking point for Poles during trade negotiations, as Chicago opted for Moore instead of an additional first-round pick in 2025. While the Panthers didn’t want to trade Moore, Poles used their desperation for a quarterback to his advantage to get the deal he wanted done.
“The Panthers were in tears, literally, when they called DJ. It was emotional for them,” Rosenhaus said. “DJ was fine with it because when a team trades for you, they invest capital in you. That means you’re more valuable, that means you’re going to get a new contract sooner, that means you’re more likely to have a greater career with the team that trades for you.”
