The Chicago Bears have some impact players — both returning and new — on the roster who will help contribute to the team’s success in 2024.
But which player will be the most impactful as Chicago looks to contend for the playoffs in Year 3 under head coach Matt Eberflus?
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm examined one MVP for each NFL team heading into the 2024 season. And, as you can imagine, there are several to choose from. Be it on defense with defensive end Montez Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson or offense with wide receiver DJ Moore or rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
While all of those players were in contention for the spot, ultimately Edholm landed on Moore, noting his importance in helping elevate Williams during his rookie season.
I’ll choose Moore, even if he’s no slam-dunk selection. There’s even a case to be made that Moore’s 2024 numbers could fall below his career-high totals from last season (1,364 receiving yards, eight TD catches), given that the Bears added WRs Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze and RB D’Andre Swift. But if there’s an individual player who holds the key to helping unlock Williams more than Moore, I don’t know who it is.
In the 12 games Justin Fields started and finished last season, Moore averaged 91.8 receiving yards per game and caught half of Fields’ TD passes. Even with a stronger receiving corps this year, Moore figures to be a huge part of Williams’ development in his rookie season — and well beyond.
Moore is coming off a career year in 2023, where he had 96 receptions for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. Now, Moore leads a revamped Bears receiving corp also featuring Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, which gives the team one of the best trios in the NFL.
Earlier this offseason, Moore joked it’ll be a “race to 1,000 yards” between the three wideouts. All three figure to play a significant role in Williams’ development this season.