Bears’ Moore needs to reestablish himself as an elite wide receiver in the NFL
The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be.
Here’s a look at No. 3 on the list of most important Bears players this season. Check back the rest of the week to see the top-10 most important Bears.
No. 3 DJ Moore
Position: Wide receiver
Experience: Eighth season
Looking back: DJ Moore will always be associated with one of the biggest moves Ryan Poles made as Bears general manager. Poles insisted the Carolina Panthers include Moore in the 2023 trade where the Bears acquired numerous draft picks for the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick. The Bears used the picks to draft right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Moore instantly became a playmaker for the Bears in 2023. He caught 96 passes for a career-high 1,364 yards and 8 touchdowns and played in all 17 games. It was the fourth-highest single-season receiving yardage total for a Bears player in the organization’s history.
But there was a drop-off in Moore’s second season. Moore finished with a career-high 98 receptions but finished with a career-low 9.9 yards per reception. He ended the season with 966 receiving yards, which was the third time in his career he failed to get over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
There were multiple reasons for the decrease in performance. Williams struggled to find Moore while he was open at times, especially when he faced pressure. The playcalling by former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron wasn’t always the best, either. Moore also faced criticism for his body language during the 5-12 season.
Looking ahead: There are usually a lot of players looking to have a bounce-back season after going 5-12 the previous year. But Moore will try to prove that he can be a difference-maker for a winning team. Moore has never played on a winning team.
Playing in Johnson’s offense should give him a good chance to just do that. Johnson became one of the top head coaching candidates over the past few offseasons because of his playcalling as the Detroit Lions’ playcaller. Over three seasons, Johnson found different ways to use his players’ talents to benefit his offense.
Moore has a toolbox of talents to offer. He’s proven to be a deep-ball threat with his route-running abilities. But Moore’s knack to pick up yards after a catch, especially on screens, has made him difficult to stop.
“He’s done it, in terms of he has played the position over and over again,” Bears assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said during the offseason. “He’s a veteran, he is the guy that we can get the ball to in a lot of different ways. I just see him in a lot of ways. A lot of times, he’s catching these screens, but he can run routes. He can come inside and do some things, too. I’m excited about that.”
Moore will benefit from not being the only playmaker on the roster. Wide receivers Rome Odunze, Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus will all be threats in various ways for defenses to keep an eye on. Johnson is also expected to use tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland as targets as well.
Most importantly, Williams should have more time to find his No. 1 wide receiver. Poles spent the offseason revamping the offensive line after he was sacked a team-record 68 times last season.
If Williams and Moore can build their chemistry early in Johnson’s offense, Moore should have a chance to make an impact for a team pushing for a playoff spot.