DJ Moore Eyes Possible Retirement with Bears, Wants ‘At Least’ 5 Years in CHI
Erin WalshJanuary 17, 2024
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DJ Moore has been a huge supporter of Justin Fields since arriving in Chicago before the 2023 campaign, and although there’s uncertainty at the quarterback position entering 2024, it appears the wide receiver wants to be a Bear for life.
“I would like to do at least five years here and then, shoot, maybe retire here,” Moore said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “That’s always the goal.
“I thought I was going to be in Carolina forever. I was there for five years, and I don’t want to be here shorter than that. I’m looking forward to that.”
The Bears selected Fields in the first round of the 2021 draft out of Ohio State.
Fields has spent the last three seasons as Chicago’s starting quarterback but with disappointing results in each of the last three years, the franchise has a decision to make this spring with the opportunity to select a new signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The 24-year-old has made it a difficult decision for the Bears with how he played in 2023.
Despite the franchise failing to secure a playoff berth, he put together the best season of his fledgling career, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 13 games, in addition to rushing for 657 yards and four scores.
However, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported this week that “teams believe” the Bears will select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick and trade Fields. Brugler has Chicago selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams in his mock draft.
While Moore, who joined the Bears ahead of the 2023 campaign in a trade from the Carolina Panthers, is open to playing with a different quarterback, he put together the best season of his career with Fields under center. He caught 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games.
That said, it’s no surprise Moore wants Fields to stick around in 2024 and beyond.
“With him being younger than most of the quarterbacks I’ve been with [Fields is 24], it made me revert back to learning the whole offense, so I could be on the same page with him and think the same things he was thinking,” Moore told ESPN. “It kind of benefitted me more.
“I think that’s why my numbers were so high with him, because we were on the same page and had to grow through the offense together.”
If the Bears retain Fields, they may select a player like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to pair with Moore, which would give the quarterback two top-notch pass-catchers to work with moving forward.
With still a few months leading up to the draft, it seems like anything could happen at this point.
