‘I’m not gonna be too selfish’ — Bears position coach is taking a liking to DJ Moore’s new role but will play fair with his usage
He’s going to be used all over the field.
As the Chicago Bears look to find the best ways to creatively use all the offensive weapons in 2025, head coach Ben Johnson has been getting creative with wide receiver DJ Moore.
For weeks now at training camp, we’ve seen Moore working in the backfield and taking handoffs, along with catching passes at the wide receiver position.
It’s not an uncommon practice for teams to explore various possibilities with their top play-maker. Ben Johnson previously used running back Jahmyr Gibbs all over the formation in Detroit and the 49ers used a similar design the Bears are now implementing with former wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
On Wednesday, running backs coach Eric Bieniemy briefly met with the media and shared how Moore is handling his new duties in the backfield.
“When he’s in that backfield, I’m not gonna be too selfish, I’m gonna try not to be, he’s a great athlete who has great vision and he does a great job applying the little detailed things that you talk to him about,” Bieniemy explained. “He’s a flexible player, sometimes I may wanna keep him a little longer, but that’s not gonna happen… We’ll spread the wealth, but he’s done a great job so far.”
Bieniemy even joked about changing Moore’s physical size to fit his new role the Bears are looking to increase this upcoming season.
“I may have asked him to gain a little weight, put that (explicative) neck roll on, sit back about 8, 9 yards deep, but nah, I just told him, he’s a dynamic football player that brings a lot to the table,” Bieniemy added.
Running the ball isn’t something that’s new for Moore. In seven seasons, Moore has totaled 57 rushing attempts for 431 yards and one touchdown.
What’s new here is his alignment in the backfield instead of getting carries from sweeps or off motions. In those seven seasons, Moore has only logged 70 career snaps in the backfield, with 35 coming in his rookie season when he carried the ball 13 times for 172 yards.
Yet, it’s something he’s embraced doing once again.
“It’s daunting,” Moore said Monday, “but I get paid the big bucks to do it, so why not?”
And just because Moore is getting reps in the backfield doesn’t mean he won’t be a weapon in the passing game either. Moore is still in line to be the team’s top wide receiver on the outside and can use his abilities as a catch-and-run screen player or as a downfield player.
All of this new role is part of one goal: putting the ball in the hands of the team’s top play-maker as often as possible.
“DJ is one of those guys that you really love when the ball is in his hands,” offensive coordinator Declan Doyle explained. “Just trying to find ways to be creative about how we do that. Trying to get him touches in every way we can. He’s very natural back there. He has good vision. It’s one of those things that we’ll test it and mess with it a little bit and see where it goes.”
If all works out, Moore is set to become an even more dynamic player in his offense heading into his third season in Chicago.
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