‘Elated’ Ryan Poles admits DJ Moore is a “cornerstone” for the Bears after giving him $110 million extension

After a stellar debut, Bears GM Ryan Poles extended WR DJ Moore's contract for four years, making him one of the team's highest earners.

‘Elated’ Ryan Poles admits DJ Moore is a “cornerstone” for the Bears after giving him $110 million extension

Chicago Bears general manager was elated after DJ Moore signed new four year contract (Image via IMAGO)

Ryan Poles was delighted to extend wide receiver DJ Moore‘s contract on Tuesday (July 30). Moore became one of the highest-paid players in the Chicago Bears’ history.

Following a season in which the Bears rotated between Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent as their quarterback, Moore established himself as a top receiver in the league. The former first-round pick recorded 96 receptions for 1364 yards and 8 touchdowns.

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He catered to close to 40% of the Bears’ attacking output in 2023. So even after signing veteran Keenan Allen, Poles wanted to make sure they didn’t lose Moore to another team and decided to extend his contract.

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DJ Moore signed a 4 year $110 million extension, making him the Bears 4th highest earner in their history behind Brandon Marshall (2012), Alshon Jeffery (2013), and Marcus Robinson (1999).

After penning the new deal, Poles claimed that Moore was an asset for the Bears, whom he had to keep hold of.

I’m extremely excited to be able to re-sign DJ [Moore]. We all know he’s an impact player and a difference-maker for our offense, but his leadership and professionalism make him a cornerstone of our franchise.
Ryan Poles said per NBC Sports

The Carolina Panthers drafted Moore in the first round during the 2018 NFL Draft. He went three consecutive seasons, crossing 1000 receiving yards and a total of 12 touchdowns (2019-2021). Unlike last season, he has plenty of help with Allen, rookie Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift, and tight-end Cole Kmet. Poles also took Heisman winner Caleb Williams as the first overall pick in the latest draft.

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Breaking down DJ Moore’s new contract with the Chicago Bears

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Moore still had two years remaining on his $61 million contract, which he signed with Panther in 2022. He earned an annual salary of $20.6 million before they traded him away to draft Bryce Young first overall in 2023. Moore’s new deal made him one of the Bears’ top-paid players.

'Elated' Ryan Poles admits DJ Moore is a "cornerstone" for the Bears after giving him $110 million extension
DJ Moore (Image via IMAGO)

The breakdown of the $110 million for a four-year deal included $82,600,000 guaranteed and an average annual salary of $27,500,000. Moore’s base salary in 2024 is 15,850,000 and a workout bonus of $200,000 while carrying a cap hit of $16,050,000 and a dead cap value of $1,110,000 per Spotrac.

With the new deal out of the way, the only thing Moore needs to focus on is reaching the playoffs. The Bears haven’t played postseason football since 2020, and they will open their 2024 campaign against the Tennessee Titans.

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