Joe Brady, DJ Moore Must Correctly Answer Bills 'Burning Question' for Josh Allen's Sake

The Buffalo Bills are banking on wide receiver DJ Moore in 2026, and the skeptics have questions.

Simply put, the Bills need Moore, a 2018 first-round talent, to be the WR1 that quarterback Josh Allen has been missing since the team cut ties with Stefon Diggs after a disappointing end to 2023.

Whether or not Moore will deliver is one of the burning questions that Sports Illustrated is asking about the Bills.

Identifying "Burning Questions for Every NFL Team Heading Into the 2026 Season," Eva Geitheim asks "Will Moore be able to adequately fill the team’s weakness?"

"How will DJ Moore do in Buffalo?"

There's an argument to be made that 29-year-old Moore's best days are behind him.

While Moore has exceeded the 1,150-yard receiving mark in four different seasons, his 2025 numbers have created some concern.

"... coming off a down season in Chicago, which saw him record just 50 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns over 17 games as the Bears’ No. 1 receiver," said Geitheim.

Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson (8) breaks up a pass intended for Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although that production is certainly not up to a WR1 standard, one must realize that Moore did not receive a normal WR1 target volume in 2025. In fact, no Bears' pass-catcher did.

Rome Odunze led Chicago with 90 receiving targets followed by Moore with 85. By comparison, Moore was targeted 136 times when he produced a career-high 1,364 receiving yards for the Bears in 2023.

Over his four seasons with the Bills, Diggs averaged 161 targets per year. That number suggests Moore can expect a significantly higher volume than he saw last season in Chicago.

Providing evidence that he has plenty of tread left on his tires, Moore showed up for the Bears during the postseason last January. He totaled 11 receptions while making touchdown catches in each of the two playoff games.

DJ Moore TD — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches a three-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Caleb Williams (not pictured) against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (31) during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why DJ Moore will deliver

Let's call it the Joe Brady factor.

There's no ignoring that two of those aforementioned 1150-yard seasons came with Brady calling the plays for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021. In terms of usage, Moore averaged 140 targets per season over that two-year clip.

Moore remarkably totaled 1,193 receiving yards with Teddy Bridgewater as QB1 in 2020. One would think the upgrade from Caleb Williams to Josh Allen will positively affect the receiver's output.

Additionally, Moore has shown tremendous availability over the years. He has made 87 consecutive starts, last missing a game due to COVID during the aforementioned 2020 campaign.

We wrote about Moore's perceived fantasy football value as a "potential bargain" earlier this month.

Only time will tell, but Moore may be just the sidekick that Allen has been missing these past two years.

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