How Luther Burden III Impacted the Bears' Decision to Trade DJ Moore
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted it was a tough decision to trade DJ Moore, but having a player like Luther Burden III in the receiving room helps to make that move.
Video Transcript
There are plenty of reasons why general manager Ryan Poles traded DJ Moore, but Luther Burden III was one of the main factors.
What's up, everybody?
Nicholas Moriano here from Roundtable Sports.
Got a chance to hear from general manager Ryan Poles yesterday at Halas Hall, and he discussed some of the moves that the team has made in free agency, including trading DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick.
And, of course, the financials were a major part of it.
Moore was going to have a cap hit of twenty-four point five million dollars in 2026.
But then Ryan Poles also referenced the receiving corps that the Bears currently have, Rome Odunze and, of course, Luther Burden.
And he even said, Ryan Poles, that, "Look, you look at, you look at what wide receiver Luther Burden did, again, that's why you followed the draft report.
I did not expect Luther Burden to be where he was.
He showed up and showed some big-time flashes.
Every time that dude touched the ball, special things could happen."
And that's really what it was for Luther Burden in his rookie season.
It took three games to showcase what kind of talented player he was, catching three passes on three targets for a hundred and one yards and his first career NFL touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys, and he ended that season with forty-seven receptions, six hundred fifty-two yards, and two scores.
He's also the team's fourth leading receiver but led the team in some big-time explosive plays with thirteen.
So you factor in all that and why the Bears decided to trade DJ Moore, again, someone who made some of the biggest plays of the Bears' twenty twenty-five season.
I just point back to week sixteen against Green Bay Packers, the walk-off game-winning touchdown.
End up winning what NFL honors the moment of the year.
So yeah, it was, it was a tough decision, and Poles admitted that, but when you see the emergence of Luther Burden III and what he can do in this Bears offense, now that he's gonna be more of a focal point, so is Rome and Cole Kmet.
And he ca-- of course, you can't forget about Cole Kmet as well.
But Luther's ascension, him even just being there when the Bears selected him in the second round, that all played a huge factor as to why Poles felt comfortable with trading away DJ Moore.
And if you guys remember all the way back in July twenty twenty-four when DJ signed that four-year, hundred and ten million dollar extension, Poles said that day, called him a cornerstone of the franchise.
And we're not even three years removed, and that cornerstone is now in Buffalo.
But it just goes to show how much things can change, especially when you get a talented playmaker like Luther Burden on your team.
