The Chicago Bears’ decision on DJ Moore and Keenan Allen will be influenced by Jaylen Waddle’s massive paycheck and the amount of mega-extensions that are still to be signed.
On Thursday, Miami Dolphins
Waddle’s new contract ranks him fourth in yearly value after the Eagles’ A.J. Brown ($32 million), Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30.02 million), and Waddle’s own teammate Tyreek Hill ($30 million), and third in guaranteed money behind Brown ($84 million) and St. Brown ($77 million).
While not the top danger on his own side, Waddle is unquestionably one of the league’s most explosive players, and he is getting compensated accordingly.
If you’ve gotten to this point and are wondering why this matters to the Bears, here’s your payoff:
Why are Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears so interested in these WR price tags? Because they have two excellent receivers, DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who need to be paid soon if they want to stay in Chicago.
Moore is in the second year of a $61.88 million contract extension with the Carolina Panthers, which he signed in 2022. That contract began last season, his first with the Bears.
That means he’ll be eligible for an extension after next year, and it may be in the Bears’ best interests to work something out with him before his price tag rises another year. Currently, there are a few big fish, particularly Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb, whose contracts might reset the receiver market and drive that amount up this year (even if Moore does not get paid in that record-breaking range).
Moore is at least on par with (if not better than) St. Brown and Waddle, and at 27 years old, coming off a career-high 1,364 receiving yards, he should command something in their league — if not more.
