Buffalo Bills Expected to Restructure DJ Moore’s Contract After Trade to Manage Salary Cap

The Buffalo Bills are reportedly finalizing a trade to acquire wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears, a move that could significantly strengthen Buffalo’s offense ahead of the upcoming NFL season. However, the transaction also presents a financial challenge, as the team must create considerable salary cap space to accommodate Moore’s contract before the start of the new league year.

According to reports, Buffalo plans to send a 2026 second-round draft pick to Chicago in exchange for the talented receiver. While the trade could provide a major boost to the Bills’ receiving corps, it also adds a substantial financial commitment. Prior to the move, the team was already projected to be approximately $7 million over the salary cap. Moore’s current 2026 cap hit, estimated at about $24.5 million, would increase that deficit to roughly $31.5 million. As a result, Buffalo must take immediate steps to reduce its cap obligations before the NFL deadline at 4 p.m. EDT on March 11.

One of the most practical solutions available to the organization is restructuring Moore’s contract once the trade becomes official at the start of the new league year. By adjusting the structure of his deal, the Bills can significantly lower the immediate cap impact while spreading the financial commitment across future seasons.

Under a potential restructuring scenario, the majority of Moore’s $23.485 million base salary could be converted into a signing bonus. In this arrangement, only the veteran minimum salary of $1.215 million would remain as base pay for the 2026 season. The converted amount—approximately $22.27 million—would then be prorated across the remaining four years of the contract.

This financial adjustment would dramatically reduce Moore’s 2026 cap charge. Instead of counting $24.5 million against the cap, his new estimated cap hit would drop to around $6.78 million. When factoring in a per-game roster bonus of about $765,000, the total adjusted cap charge for 2026 would be approximately $7.5 million.