Bear Digest

DJ Moore Helped Make Chicago the Place Where Receivers Go to Thrive

Analysis: From arriving as a needed target, to TD catches against their hated rivals, to providing cap relief, DJ Moore always gave the Bears what they needed.
Gene Chamberlain|
DJ Moore celebrates with teammates in the end zone after catching a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs.
DJ Moore celebrates with teammates in the end zone after catching a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

DJ Moore brought the Bears exactly what they needed when Ryan Poles acquired him from Carolina and he's doing it again with the trade the team reportedly made Thursday sending him to Buffalo.

What more can you say for a player other than he brought them two wins over the Packers within a month and was critical in their first playoff win since the 2010 season? Yet, there's plenty.

The second-round draft pick the Bears receive for Moore and a fifth-rounder is a help with them needing it at several positions at this point. The other benefits they derive and have had from Moore are key.

Moore's arrival brought Justin Fields the receiver they needed as a counterpart to Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet at the time. His departure brings them salary cap relief they need to pursue a center replacement for retired Drew Dalman and possibly add pass rush help or sign safety Kevin Byard back.

As part of the trade that helped the Bears eventually get Caleb Williams, Moore is the gift that just kept on giving to the Bears.

The Bears are losing a 29-year-old receiver who brought them 244 catches for 3,012 yards and 20 touchdowns but doesn't really fit one of the specific roles for Ben Johnson's offensive success from his Detroit days. They have Colston Loveland and Luther Burden now as targets of emphasis and the move-tight end and slot receiver were where Johnson's offenses made their money, in addition to running backs.

Moore had career lows of 50 catches and 682 yards as he displayed the kind of toughness a young group of receivers needed to see while playing through several injuries.

While his catch and target totals shrunk with Williams looking all over the offense, Moore did everything he could to be a team guy.

"He probably knew all the roles of the receivers better than anybody else we had in that room," Johnson said. "The X, the Z, F, it really didn’t matter. He was a guy we knew we could count on. If guys go down, he can step in.  

"There really wasn’t anything we shied away from in terms of the route tree that he could or could not do. I feel like the versatility is something that screams as you, the intelligence screams at you and as Ryan alluded to in our last press conference, just the toughness, the durability. When you talk about a 17-plus game season, that’s where a player like that is really, really valuable."

What Moore brings the Bears now as he parts is cap relief when he needs it most. It is about $16.5 million in total cap relief, with $28.5 million in cap hit removed but $12 million in dead cap coming onto the books. The Bills are taking the $28.5 million deal to get Josh Allen a veteran target to replace Stefon Diggs, who was just cut.

For whatever reason, Williams never seemed to click entirely with Moore the way he had with Fields when he had 99 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. They had to force him the ball for 98 catches and 966 yards with six TDs at a career low of 9.9 yards a catch in 2024 but in a terribly conceived offense. He caught 50 passes for 682 yards and six TDs.

Moore kept battling, though, and now he'll get to show his skills off with Allen, possibly the top QB in the league.

Former Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad once said Chicago was where receivers go to die.

Former Panthers receiver DJ Moore proved this is no longer the case.

He'll be missed at Halas Hall both for his personality as well as his skill set, but the Bears can move on in a new age better off for his contributions.

Perhaps they'll meet up with him again in a really big game for both his old team and new team in the future.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.