There’s no denying DJ Moore’s importance to the Chicago Bears’ 2025 campaign. The veteran wideout was instrumental in their push to the NFC North title and their playoff win over Green Bay, coming up with clutch catches when it mattered most. But in the wake of their season-ending loss to the Rams, Moore’s name has become one of the most debated in the Bears’ locker room-and not just because of what he did right.
That critical play against Los Angeles, the one that ended in a momentum-killing interception, left fans and analysts alike scratching their heads. Moore didn’t appear to be running full speed.
In a moment that demanded urgency, his effort looked... off. And for some, that play became a microcosm of the larger frustration they’ve had with Moore this season-flashes of brilliance followed by moments that make you wonder what’s going on.
From the outside, it looked like inconsistency. But GM Ryan Poles offered a different lens during his end-of-season press conference, one that could change the entire conversation around Moore’s future in Chicago.
“I’ll use his words: he didn’t care about stats. All he cared about was winning,” Poles said.
“This is the most winning DJ has ever had, probably since high school. That’s all he cares about… What stood out about DJ this year is the level of toughness rubbed off on our team.
He was able to fight through a lot. Got a lot of respect for him.”
That last part-“he was able to fight through a lot”-is doing some heavy lifting. It strongly suggests that Moore was playing through injury for most of the year.
And if that’s the case, it reframes a lot of what we saw on the field. The moments where he didn’t look explosive, the plays where he didn’t seem to have that extra gear-those might not have been about effort or fit within the offense.
They might have been about pain.
That revelation complicates things for the Bears. Moore is still carrying one of the biggest contracts on the roster.
And with two young receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden waiting in the wings, there’s a growing chorus of fans wondering if now is the time to move on. The team could free up cap space by trading Moore and invest elsewhere-maybe along the offensive line or in the secondary.
But it’s not that simple. Moore may not have been at full strength, but he was still a leader.
He still made big plays. And according to Poles, he set a tone of toughness that resonated throughout the locker room.
That’s not the kind of player you move on from lightly-especially not when you’re trying to build stability around a young quarterback.
And that’s the other piece of this: Caleb Williams. If the Bears are truly committed to developing their rookie quarterback into a franchise cornerstone, it makes sense to keep proven weapons around him.
Trading Moore might save money, but it could also strip away a reliable target and a veteran presence in the huddle. That’s a tough call, especially if the injury Moore dealt with isn’t expected to linger into 2026.
Poles has options. He could explore restructuring Moore’s deal to make it more cap-friendly.
He could ride it out and see what Moore looks like at full health next season. Or, if the right offer comes along, he could make a move and trust that Odunze and Burden are ready for primetime.
Whatever the decision, it’s clear that DJ Moore’s value to this team goes beyond the box score. He played through pain, made plays when it counted, and helped lead a young Bears team to its most successful season in years. If he’s healthy next fall, the Bears-and their quarterback-might be better off keeping him in the fold.