DJ Moore's agent details 'emotional' trade process for Panthers to land No. 1 pick

It was tough for the Carolina Panthers to trade receiver DJ Moore this offseason. But that was the price they had to pay to land the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears.

Carolina shipped Moore, along with the No. 9 and No. 61 picks and future first and second-round selections, to Chicago last month for the right to draft first in 2023. According to Moore’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, however, it was “emotional” for the Panthers to say their goodbyes to the receiver.

“The Panthers were in tears, literally, when they called DJ,” Rosenhaus said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “It was emotional for them. DJ was fine with it because when a team trades for you, they invest capital in you. That means you’re more valuable. That means you’re gonna get a new contract sooner. That means you’re more likely to have a greater career with the team that trades for you. So it’s always a good thing from a business standpoint when you do get traded because someone is investing draft picks in you and capital and that’s a bonus.”

It wasn’t just the Panthers that had a hard time parting ways. Rosenhaus said that the trade also affected DJ Moore, who spent the first five seasons of his pro career in Carolina. However, he added that it’s a part of the business of the league and the receiver is excited to take on a new opportunity.

“Emotionally, it’s hard for a guy like DJ,” Rosenhaus said. “He was drafted in the first round by the Panthers. Has a home there. His family’s there. He loves it there. But you understand the business component. Trades aren’t easy, but you have to embrace them because they can be for the better.”

Moore led the Panthers in receiving yards in each of the past four seasons. He posted three straight 1,000-yard years from 2019-21 before recording 63 catches for 888 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. Although trading Moore wasn’t in Carolina’s plans, they couldn’t pass up on their opportunity to get a quarterback for the future.

The Bears already have their quarterback in Justin Fields, and thus could afford to move down in the draft. They “insisted” that Moore be involved in the deal to give Fields, who is entering his third NFL season, a No. 1 target in 2023. No Chicago receiver finished with more than 500 yards in 2022 as tight end Cole Kmet led the team with 544 yards.

That in mind, Moore should take on the “go-to” role right away.

“By no means did the Panthers want to trade DJ, but the Bears were smart,” Rosenhaus said. “They knew the Panthers wanted to draft a quarterback. They were insistent on getting DJ as part of that package and they landed a No. 1 wide receiver for Justin Fields. Great trade for the Bears. The Panthers feel like it’s a great trade for them. Time will tell. Depends on how good CJ Stroud or Bryce Young is if they happen to pick one of those two guys.”