Chicago Bears 2024 team MVP pick is the player with the best shot to singlehandedly unlock Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears roster is loaded with high-end talent on both sides of the ball heading into the 2024 season, both young and experienced.Therefore, placing the finger on the one player who will standout above the others and lead the team is a daunting challenge. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and defensive end Montez Sweat (the team's […]
The Chicago Bears roster is loaded with high-end talent on both sides of the ball heading into the 2024 season, both young and experienced.
Therefore, placing the finger on the one player who will standout above the others and lead the team is a daunting challenge. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and defensive end Montez Sweat (the team's two Pro Bowl selections in 2023) are great options. As is rookie quarterback and first overall pick Caleb Williams, if he can quickly step into that role within the locker room.
However, the more you look into it, and look back at the Bears 2023 season, it's obvious who the team's most valuable player truly was, and it likely will remain the same this upcoming season.
That's why, when predicting each of the team's MVP selections for the upcoming season, national NFL writer Eric Edholm got it right when choosing the Bears MVP.
Edholm ultimately went with wide receiver DJ Moore as the player in Chicago who could lead the team once again, and continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
"Instead 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." – NFL.com's Eric Edholm
Moore made his impact felt in a big way during his first season in Chicago, setting career-highs in every single major receiving category. Moore likely won't be able to surpass, or even reach, those same milestones in 2024 with the upgraded set of pass catchers joining the offense, but his impact will still remain the same.
"Our best players have to be our hardest workers, they have got to be our best finishers and they have to be available to practice out there, and D.J. is certainly that," head coach Matt Eberflus said. "He's as tough as they come, he's a great teammate and he's our hardest worker and one of our most talented guys. That's the example that all the young guys follow because, number 1, the talent, but then they see the work ethic."
Not only is Moore a tremendous vertical play-maker, but he's also a quarterback's best friend, which will be a major piece to aid in the development of Williams. Last season, Moore had a 115.3 passer rating when a QB targeted him under pressure. That kind of reliability mixed with the big-play ability can make Moore a major asset for Williams to target in 2024.
Moore and his new quarterback have been ironing out their connection for months, even before Williams was even drafted by the Bears. So far, Moore has been more than impressed with what he's seen out of the Bears new franchise quarterback.
“You can see that the natural leadership is there,” Moore said. “The natural arm talent is there. Everything about him, it’s just always a positive thing. Even when he has a bad play, he’s looking to learn real fast right after. That’s all you can ask of him, for him to quickly forget but also learn at the same time.”
Moore is not only the key to unlocking the team's rookie quarterback, but the entire offense as well. If what he did in Year 1 with the Bears is any inclination, he's more than capable of leading the charge once again this season.
Preseason expectations for Caleb Williams based on recent quarterbacks drafted with the first overall pick
How many opportunities will he see before the season?
