Bear Digest

All-NFC North Team: DJ Moore Receives His Just Due

Analysis: DJ Moore finally earned recognition on the All-NFC North team and if Bears do what's right they'll look to lock him up for the long term even if his contract expires after 2025.

Gene Chamberlain

DJ Moore tries to escape the grasp of Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in a 28-13 Bears victory.
DJ Moore tries to escape the grasp of Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in a 28-13 Bears victory. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Much offseason discussion has centered on whether wide receiver Keenan Allen should receive a contract extension from the Bears.

The Bears can't even know at this point whether he fits into their plans for 2025 when he hasn't played a down for them and they have yet to see new receiver Rome Odunze play. However, they do have a receiver who will fit into those plans and he'll need a deal after that season.

The receiver they should consider giving an extension to is DJ Moore, even if it would break with conventional NFL thinking to give an extension with two years left on a deal.

Moore is without doubt one of the top receivers in the NFC and NFC North, even if he hasn't received the accolades.

He hasn't been a Pro Bowl player. He hasn’t been All-Pro. He has now been named first team All-NFC North by publishers of On SI websites covering the NFC North. It’s possible more honors will come.

If GM Ryan Poles really wanted to look into the team's future, it's Moore they'd give a contract to because of his production and his attitude regardless of anything, including the changing situation for receivers due to instability at quarterback.

Change is really nothing new for Moore and this is a reason to expect plenty more from him in 2024.

During Moore’s entire career in Carolina, he was with five different offensive coordinators and 10 quarterbacks in three systems.

ONE WEEK OUT WITH CALEB WILLIAMS AND ROME ODUNZE STILL UNSIGNED

BEARS 2024 TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW: THE ISSUE OF GETTING MONTEZ SWEAT SOME HELP

UNDERRATED BEARS DUO CAN'T EVEN MAKE ALL-UNDERRATED TEAM

So it's unlikely change in Chicago, with Allen and Rome Odunze in his receiver corps and Caleb William as quarterback, presents much more of a challenge.

Moore’s strength has always been the catch and run but being open enough to achieve this when he attracted most of the coverage last year was a Bears problem.  With other receivers on board now, look for Moore to make fewer catches but gain more yards, something like in 2020 when his catches declined from 87 to 66 but his yards per catch soared from 13.5 to a career-high 18.1. That receiving corps also had Robbie Chosen (formerly Anderson) and Curtis Samuel in a loaded receiver corps much like the Bears now have Allen and Odunze.

The Bears have found the best thing about Moore isn't even his catch total or yardage but his attitude. He's at every voluntary offseason practice and even helped coach younger players on days reserved for rookies.

This is a player worth keeping long term and it's already apparent. Being under contract for two more seasons shouldn't be a reason to avoid signing him for a longer period and paying him appropriately.

-Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI

Justin Jefferson

Remember when Jefferson won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022 and was a finalist for league MVP? He led the NFL that season with 128 catches and 1,808 yards, averaging 106.9 yards per game. Would you believe that he was on pace to beat those numbers before he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 of 2023?

Through four games last season, Jefferson had 33 receptions for 543 yards. That pace had him on track for 140 catches and 2,307 yards. It's easy to say he probably couldn't have maintained that breakneck pace for 17 games, but after he missed two months and was fully healthy for the last four games of the season, all he did was rack up 30 more catches for 476 yards. Oh, and Nick Mullens, not Kirk Cousins, was throwing the football those four games.

Jefferson was fully healthy for eight of the 10 games he played and in those eight contests he totaled 63 catches for 1,019 yards and five touchdowns. That breakneck pace might not have been sustainable to the tune of 2,300 yards, but there is no reason to doubt that Jefferson wasn't poised to become the first 2,000-yard receiver in NFL history.

Jefferson was paid like the king of wide receivers because he is the king. There's nobody better and the gap between him and the next best in the league is larger than most think.

-Joe Nelson, Vikings On SI

Amon-Ra St. Brown

For St. Brown, the first three years of his career have been marked by significant improvement each year. As a rookie, he finished the year on a torrid pace and looked to be a star in the making. The following year, he took that expected jump. In 2023, he took yet another leap and ascended to All-Pro status.

Now, there’s no doubts about what the 2021 fourth-round pick can bring to the Lions’ offense. Known mostly for his work as a slot receiver, St. Brown has proven he can play on the outside as well. He’s a true multi-faceted pass-catcher and belongs in the conversation amongst the league’s best.

He’s an excellent route-runner and has proven to be nearly unguardable on third downs, as he possesses a savvy for eluding defenders and finding ways to get open. He has an insatiable work ethic and will likely continue to play at a high level after being rewarded with a four-year extension.

Through three seasons, St. Brown has amassed 315 receptions for 3,588 yards. Last year, he surpassed 1,500 receiving yards for the first time and scored 10 touchdowns. With another strong season, he will continue to mark his place among the league’s elite.

John Maakaron, Lions On SI

2024 Preseason All-NFC North

QB: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

RB: Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

WR: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

WR: DJ Moore, Chicago Bears

Slot WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

TE: Coming July 11

LT: Coming July 13

LG: Coming July 13

C: Coming July 13

RG: Coming July 13

RT: Coming July 13

DT: Coming July 15

DT: Coming July 15

Edge: Coming July 15

Edge: Coming July 15

LB: Coming July 17

LB: Coming July 17

LB: Coming July 17

CB: Coming July 19

CB: Coming July 19

SCB: Coming July 19

S: Coming July 21

S: Coming July 21

K: Coming July 23

P: Coming July 23

Returns: Coming July 23

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher 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.