Bears’ D.J. Moore Cruises into 2025 as Ben Johnson’s ‘Bounce‑Back’ WR1

D.J. Moore's first season with the Chicago Bears was a resounding success. He finished 2023 with 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.

Moore's 96 catches were good for the ninth-best single-season total in franchise history. His 1,364 yards were fourth-best. And his eight TDs ranked 15th.

Simply put, Moore had one of the best single seasons in the history of the Chicago Bears.

Then came 2024, and the regression was very real.

Under the blind eye of Shane Waldron and the cast of misfit offensive coaches, Moore finished last year with 98 catches for 966 yards and six touchdowns. There were times he looked disinterested. And all this followed a Bears offseason that rewarded Moore with a four-year, $110 million contract.

Now, with Ben Johnson calling the shots for Chicago's offense, Moore's outlook in 2025 is much closer to his production in 2023 than what he produced in 2024. Fantasy football managers are certainly excited about his ceiling this year, and he was dubbed a top bounce-back candidate by Pro Football Focus' fantasy experts.

Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Assuming Caleb Williams doesn’t suffer an injury that costs him most of the season, this will be the first time in Moore’s NFL career with a quarterback who plays at least 400 snaps in back-to-back years," PFF's Nathan Jahnke wrote. "Moore is usually a safe WR2 option, but many variables could influence his fantasy value in 2025. He could play the slot role in Ben Johnson’s offense with an improved Caleb Williams, giving him top-10 potential."

Moore, 28, is simply too talented not to thrive in Johnson's offense, one that made Amon-Ra St. Brown a mega-star. Moore's skill set is similar to St. Brown's, and if Johnson plugs Chicago's WR1 into the same role he featured St. Brown in, there's no telling how many yards Moore can go for.

Whether you want to call it a bounce-back, breakout, or comeback season, the bottom line is this: D.J. Moore is going to feast on opposing defenses in 2025.