The Chicago Bears haven’t exactly looked pretty doing it, but the team has won four consecutive games for the first time in seven years and looks like a fringe contender in the NFC as the mid-season point approaches.
One might have logically assumed that wide receiver DJ Moore would be a big part of that success given that he’s the team’s most experienced and accomplished pass-catcher, and that first-year head coach Ben Johnson came over from the Detroit Lions where the pass game has flourished over the past couple of seasons.
However, while Moore has produced at essentially the second-highest level of anyone on the roster with 31 targets (tied for second), 22 catches (second) and 258 receiving yards (second) in six games, he has found the end zone only once (tied for second among pass-catchers) and has been noticeably frustrated with the way the pass offense has progressed through the team’s 4-2 start.
On Thursday, October 23, Moore issued a message to fans who have been critical of his attitude as well as his lack of chemistry with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams who is still very much in the middle of a developmental process under Johnson’s newfound tutelage.
“I hope everybody here knows I’m not a diva,” Moore said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “Some of the fans might think I’m a diva, but you know, it is what it is. I just go out there and play my hardest every time.”
Rome Odunze Outshining DJ Moore This Season, as Bears Loaded Up on Pass-Catching Talent
GettyWide receiver Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears.
Moore may not be a diva, and it is easy to see how he might be frustrated with as many playmakers are now on the roster after the team drafted tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick and slot receiver Luther Burden III early in the second round.
Second-year wideout Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall selection in 2024 who came into the NFL alongside Williams, is leading the team in every receiving statistical category. Meanwhile, Johnson is trying to work in two pass-catching tight ends in Loveland and Cole Kmet while also utilizing Burden, whom explosive Lions receiver Jameson Williams compared to himself during the preseason.
As such, Fishbain noted in a mailbag on Friday what anyone paying close attention to the Bears’ season has already seen with their own eyes.
“I’ve written this before: Moore isn’t winning any body language contests, but I think concerns about his rapport with Williams are overblown,” Fishbain wrote.
Bears Probably Aren’t Looking to Deal DJ Moore Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
GettyWide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
But of course, not everyone agrees. And a second-year quarterback who is a former Heisman Trophy Winner and the former No. 1 overall pick is typically going to win any popularity contest with the fans over anyone else in the organization, at least while he’s providing hope for a team that has never had a true franchise QB in its more than 100 years of existence.
As such, Fishbain fielded a question about whether the Bears might consider moving Moore this offseason. Due to a variety of factors, though, he poured a considerable amount of cold water on that notion.
“Moore’s salary-cap hit is $28.5 million in each of the next three seasons. It’d be difficult for another team to forgo a ‘premier’ player for Moore. And we don’t see player-for-player trades very often,” Fishbain explained. “If the Bears were open to moving Moore, which I doubt, maybe they’re looking at a fourth-rounder. Is that worth it? Moore is still an exceptional talent.”
Moore, 28, eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving four times in seven professional seasons leading into 2025 and missed that tally by just 34 yards last year in Williams’ rookie campaign.
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