The Chicago Bears are one of the more intriguing teams in the NFL this season. After year after year after year of having subpar quarterback play, Chicago believes they finally have found their next franchise quarterback. That, of course, is Caleb Williams, whom the Bears drafted with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams joined a Bears offense that woefully underperformed in 2023 on their way to a 7-10 record. One of the few bright spots on that side of the ball last year was wide receiver DJ Moore, whom Chicago acquired from the Carolina Panthers when they sent the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft to them. Of course, this was also the trade that netted the Bears the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which they used to take Williams.
Chicago Bears Wide Receiver DJ Moore Had a Solid Season in 2023
In his first season with the Bears, Moore had the best year of his career despite the woeful quarterback play of now Pittsburgh Steelers potential backup Justin Fields.
In 2023, Moore set career highs in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,364), and touchdowns (eight). He also recorded the first rushing touchdown of his career.
It was obvious during the season that Moore could be a valuable part of the Chicago offense for years to come. With a young rookie as their starting quarterback (again), the Bears wanted to make sure that they surrounded him with the best talent possible.
As such, the recently made the decision to sign Moore to a four-year $110 million contract extension.
Chicago Bears Wide Receiver DJ Moore Reveals Which Player Is Up Next
In the past, the Bears have made the mistake of not surrounding their young quarterbacks with adequate talent. They did not want to repeat the same mistake with Williams.
As a result, Chicago pulled off another traded prior to the 2024 NFL Draft which brought six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen over from the Los Angeles Chargers.
Last season, Allen had 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.
Entering the final year of his contract, Allen is the one of the only key pieces of the offense that is not locked up long-term.
Moore recently told reporters that he is advocating his fellow wide receiver to be the next player given a contract extension.
“I was like, ‘Man, listen. What’s your number? Let’s get it done.’ And I mean, I’m going to leave his number out of it. But I think we can get it done. So it should be interesting.
“If you look at our team, I’m six years, Rome’s five, Caleb’s five … we’ve got Cole for four. Everybody’s here for the long haul on the offensive side. That’s pretty secure to me.”
Allen is entering his age 32 season and may only have one big extension left in him. One might assume Chicago wants to see how he meshes with Williams and the offense in the regular season before deciding to give him one.