Following Monday night’s win over the Washington Commanders, it was revealed that veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore went to an area hospital in Washington, D.C. Bears head coach Ben Johnson gave fans an update on Tuesday, saying that Moore will be day-to-day with a groin injury.
As you can imagine, all of Chicago took a huge sigh of relief as the Bears are back in action on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. That said, the veteran wide receiver was still listed as a non-participant after Wednesday’s practice, but took a major step forward on Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Moore was upgraded to a limited participant in the latest practice, which is a good sign, especially with Friday being the final day of practice before Sunday’s game.
DJ Moore Upgraded to Limited Participant Following Thursday’s Practice
Even though he was clearly banged up in Monday night’s win, the veteran wide receiver played a whomping 60 offensive snaps. Moore had three receptions (five targets) for 42 yards, which has surprisingly been the norm for the vet this season.
Through the first six games of the 2025 season, the 28-year-old wide receiver has not looked like the same guy we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in his first two years in the Windy City and his time in Carolina.
Moore has racked up 19 receptions (25 targets) for 215 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 11.3 yards per reception, which is an improvement from last year (9.9). But Moore’s yards after catch per reception are only 4.7, which is the lowest of his Chicago tenure (5.6 in 2023 and 6.0 in 2024).
Bears fans thought that Moore would flourish under head coach Ben Johnson this season, especially with what we saw from the Lions’ WRs over the years. However, it hasn’t happened yet for Moore, who’s stepped back to the WR2 role and allowed Rome Odunze to become the WR1.
If you’re a Bears fan, you love that Odunze is taking the next step in his young career, as he’s off to a good start. However, if you’re Bears general manager Ryan Poles, you want Moore to be that 1B and create explosive plays after signing him to a massive four-year, $110 million extension in 2024.
Nonetheless, the hope is that Moore will be healthy to play Sunday as he’ll be facing a Saints’ defense, which has allowed 213.3 yards per game (17th-most in the NFL) and eight touchdowns to WRs (third-most in the league).