Keenan Allen, DJ Moore excited to push each other to new heights with the Bears in 2024
The Chicago Bears are going into a new era on offense heading into the 2024 season and the front office has made major changes across the entire unit to put the team in the best situation to succeed with more additions expected to be on the way. General manager Ryan Poles made the biggest splash […]
The Chicago Bears are going into a new era on offense heading into the 2024 season and the front office has made major changes across the entire unit to put the team in the best situation to succeed with more additions expected to be on the way.
General manager Ryan Poles made the biggest splash of the offseason so far after making a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers to land six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen on offense a few days back in free agency.
It was the second offseason in a row the Bears' front office acquired a dominant wide receiver after landing DJ Moore last year in the trade that gifted the Carolina Panthers the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, the Bears' offense will feature two exceptional and experienced pass catchers on offense who are more than ready to build off each other going forward.
Moore is coming off the best season of his career during his first year in Chicago, setting career-highs in nearly every statistical category. The change of scenery paid off in a big way and now it's something Allen will get the opportunity to experience for the first time in his over a decade long NFL career.
Allen spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Chargers after being selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. At 31-year-old, Allen is coming off one of the best seasons of his career after setting a new career-high in receptions and having the second-most receiving yards in a season in his career.
Moore's downfield outside strengths are set to pair perfectly with Allen's savviness designed to work over the middle of the field and make the tough catches when it matters most. Allen's reliable hands mixed with Moore's big play ability will form a formidable duo for opposing defenses to cover.
"Anytime you got two guys that can make plays and beat man coverage, it's gonna be tough – that's any time," Allen said during his introductory press conference in Chicago." Obviously, [Moore's] a guy who's made plays in this league for a long time and myself, as well. So, the both of both of us together – it's gonna be pretty good."
Moore shared the same sentiment when asked about his new teammate in the room while appearing on the Mully & Haugh Show earlier this week. Moore even dropped a potential challenge that could be in the works between the two stars that Bears' fans should be excited to see play out next season.
"We both talked about how we are just going to complement each other," Moore said during his appearance on 670 The Score. "So, I'm just looking forward to that. It might be a race to 1,000 [receiving yards]. But, that's just a friendly competition. At the end of the day, if we're winning, whoever catches the ball, I don't really care."
At 26-years-old, Moore is entering into the prime of his career despite already playing six seasons in the NFL already and his 2023 production proved that to be the case. Being able to play alongside Allen, a seasoned veteran, and pick his brain at the team facilities will be an incredible boost to the future of his career.
"I'll get to know him over the time that we do OTAs and everything. So, I'm looking forward to that but his game [speaks for itself]," Moore added. "You know, he's a savvy route runner, he sets people up and makes them look silly out there. So I'm looking forward to learning from him."
The Bears' front office is still in the process of deciding who will be the one throwing the ball to these two top playmakers after trading away 2023 starting quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Whoever steps in as the team's next quarterback will have an all-star supporting cast with two established wide receivers, two solid options at tight end, and a new dynamic running back all on offense.
"We can be really special," Allen said. "Like I said, you got weapons. You got guys who can beat man [coverage] all over the field. So, double teaming one guy is going to be costly for the defense and I think we can use that as our advantage. [And] having a running back that can come out of the backfield, make plays and beat one-on-ones, that's kind of big."
The unit on paper looks like it can be something special next season led by this newly established wide receiver duo but it only matters if the group can come together and make it count on the field while looking to finally get over the hump.
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