The Green Bay Packers will have to fight with bones and nails to get back to the top of the NFC North. The Chicago Bears are for real, and getting back ahead of head coach Ben Johnson's team should be at the top of the Packers' offseason priority list.
That's why watching the Bears lose one of their playmakers would be great news for Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Chicago is currently $4.1 million above the salary cap, according to OverTheCap, and could be forced to trade or cut key players to put more money in general manager Ryan Poles' pocket.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, that could happen pretty soon. To the surprise of few, the Bears are reportedly getting calls about DJ Moore's trade availability, and the former Carolina Panthers star might be on his way out.
Even though an exit isn't guaranteed, it seems fairly likely, giving the Packers something to be excited about as the offseason kicks into the next gear.
Packers Would Celebrate a Potential DJ Moore-Bears Split
Looking at the Bears' roster, Moore is a logical salary cap casualty. Trading him before June 1 would clear $16.5 million, and a post-June 1 designation would take that number to $24.5 million, per Spotrac. Also, he's still owed $93.9 million through 2029.
In eight career games against the Packers, the former Carolina Panthers star has 43 catches for 581 yards and two scores. He's logged at least 60 receiving yards in four of his six regular-season games vs. the Packers as a member of the Bears, and that's without mentioning his 161 yards and two touchdowns in the last two encounters between the regular season and playoffs.
The second of those scores was a heart-crushing, game-winning touchdown in the NFC Wild Card Round last month. Needless to say, the Packers won't shed any tears if they don't have to worry about an encore effort in 2026 or beyond.
Moore is clearly a very good player, and he's just 28 years old. He finished the season with 50 receptions on 85 targets for 682 yards and six touchdowns, adding 15 carries for 79 yards and another score. That said, the Bears have three young building blocks in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland, so they may not have a strong incentive to keep him on their books for much longer.
At the same time, it'll be interesting to see how Chicago's pass-catchers fare without Moore's veteran presence. While Odunze, Burden, and Loveland could all take a step forward next season, the pressure could be too much for the trio to handle, opening the door for potential regression.
Few teams have a more heated rivalry than the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Everything bad that happens to one team is the other fan base's reason to celebrate. Moore will likely no longer be someone to worry about, and with the current picture in the NFC North, the Packers will take any help they can get.