Expecting more from every Bears receiver this season is natural considering coach Ben Johnson's offensive credentials, and the way he was even able to elevate lesser-known receivers like Kalif Raymond, Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick with Detroit.
It's also an easy call to anticipate more from Rome Odunze because it's his second year after a rookie season when he had some struggles but decent overall numbers.
However, the receiver who should really advance his numbers in efficiency and explosiveness is DJ Moore.
Here are the reasons the biggest season could come from Moore, if not his best season.
Uniformity of QB
For the first time in his career, Moore will have the same starter in consecutive years.
While the Bears' quarterback situation has in no way been ideal, it's stability for Moore because Caleb Williams is starter and was last year for every game. Moore started out with Justin Fields as QB in 2023 when he had a career year with then-highs of 96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.
Moore did have Sam Darnold as starter in 2022 and 2021, but another quarterback started more Carolina games in 2022—Baker Mayfield started six and P.J. Walker five. In 2020 it was Teddy Bridgewater, 2019 Kyle Allen and in his rookie year of 2018 it was Cam Newton.
The continuity from one season to the next with his QB helps, even though it is a different offense.
Caleb Williams improvement
The second year for many quarterbacks is a time they step forward. Williams is expected to do this with competent coaching and the beneficiary would be his No. 1 receiver. Tied in with that is how Williams should improve at finding Moore with more time to throw if his offensive line has improved.
Williams wasn't comfortable locating Moore when he's open but he'll discover much like Justin Fields did, that Moore is open even when he's not open.
Quality play caller
It's not a first time for Moore to be in an offense with a quality play caller, but, well, actually it is. He started his career with Norv Turner, a Super Bowl winner in Dallas as a coordinator. But that was long ago. By the time Moore was playing for Turner as a rookie, Turner had been out of football one year and was returning at the end of a 28-NFL career. He was effective as a coordinator in 2018, not really in 2019 and was moved up into an advisory role with his son, Scott, taking his job after 12 games.
Something similar happened with his next coordinator. Joe Brady came in as coordinator and in his second year Ben Nixon replaced him after 12 games.
Then he had Ben McAdoo for a year, Luke Getsy one year with the Bears in 2023 and finally struggling Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown last year.
Now, it's Johnson's offense.
Wise 'old' vet
Moore has been around and is in his prime at 28 years old. He's also the most experienced player they have in the receiver room.
"There’s a lot of different stuff going on," Moore said. "I was young in some (receiver) rooms. I was like in the middle. And, like, now I think I'm the oldest. It's kind of weird."
But with age comes wisdom.
Keenan Allen is gone
Keenan Allen became the security blanket for Williams last year. He got targeted 121 times even though he missed two games. If healthy he might have challenged Moore's 140 target total.
With Allen gone, there are plenty of other options to come in and take up targets but it's a good bet Moore's going to take up some of those targets that went to Allen because of his experience and comfort working with Williams in Year 2. Moore has had as many as 163 targets in a season. That seems like a lot and with so many possible targets he might not challenge this but more than his 140-target total of last year might be possible.
Ben Johnson
Johnson's offense schemes receivers more open and as a result, they led the NFL in yards after catch last year, were sixth in 2023 and fourth in 2022.
Moore is usually one of the best run-after-catch receivers in the league anyway. Even in bad offenses he rates up there. He was sixth in the league last year, 13th the previous year with Luke Getsy's offense, 12th in 2021 in Carolina.
Give Moore a chance in this offense and he might rate really high with some room to maneuver.
DJ Moore is the cheapest WR1 this season in dynasty football. https://t.co/FxmZ8cc5ED
— D Betz (@Dwayne9_35) July 3, 2025
Versatility
Moore has lined up more in the slot at different times in his career and Johnson says the ball just naturally seems to find the slot receiver in his offense. Look for Moore in the slot more.
Receiving isn't the only part of Moore's versatility. He can and has carried out of the backfield in a Deebo Samuel type of role or been a wildcat formation quarterback. He actually played quarterback in high school. Moore is even a good kicker, said Cairo Santos via the team's website.
As a multi-talented player, Moore could be a focal point for some of Johnson's patented trick plays.
