The Chicago Bears ended the preseason with some big questions about how the team will look in Week 1 under new head coach Ben Johnson. They had a 2-0-1 record, though Johnson wasn't happy with the first-team offense and the front office has already begun shopping for potential upgrades.
It's a new era in Chicago, though the team has to stay healthy in order to reach its ceiling, especially in what's likely to be the most difficult division in the NFL in the NFC North. Injuries have already begun to pile up, and now the team has some much-needed time to recover prior to a matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on September 8.
Unfortunately, the backfield is depleted. As a result, one star player had to switch up positions in practice in order to support the running back room.
The #Bears RB room depleted by injuries, WR DJ Moore took some reps at RB during combo drills with the QBs.
— Herb Howard (@HerbHoward411) August 25, 2025
We have seen DJ take a few handoffs out of the backfield during Training Camp. Those seemed like preparation for a wrinkle in the Offense. Today’s reps seemed to come out… pic.twitter.com/hXn5wEGV84
Bears WR D.J. Moore Takes RB Snaps Due to Injuries
As noted by Bears beat writer Herb Howard, wide receiver D.J. Moore took snaps at running back on Monday thanks to the numerous injuries. The only halfbacks who dressed were D'Andre Swift and Brittain Brown, so Moore had an opportunity to experiment a bit with new wrinkles.
We've seen Moore take some snaps at the position in training camp, suggesting that Johnson has big things in mind for the versatile 28-year-old. Howard noted that while those initial snaps seemed to be centered around adding something new to the offense, Monday's practice had Moore playing running back purely out of necessity.
Roschon Johnson and rookie Kyle Monangai are expected to form a deadly trio with Swift, but it seems clear that Johnson believes Moore can handle some unique plays as well. With at least 775 receiving yards in every year of his career, including four seasons with over 1,000, Moore is the focal point of this offense and should be one of the more dangerous players in the conference. Now that he's lining up in the backfield as well, he could finally make his first Pro Bowl.
Of course, health is the biggest factor. Johnson helped create stars in Detroit and has the chance to do the same thing in Chicago, but only if his best players can stay healthy. Moore has been remarkably durable, having started all 17 games in each of the last four years. Provided he doesn't get injured, fans should expect to see him line up all over the field.
Here's just hoping that Moore's versatility is used because the offense wants to use it, not because it has to from injuries.