Talk of a “big three,” or “three alphas” on a team is typically reserved for the NBA, but in Chicago that rhetoric belongs to the Bears. Just a few years after fielding one of the least productive wide receiver units in the NFL, Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are all in line to take the field for the Bears. And each of them could be considered a WR1 on other teams.
So who will be the WR1 in this group? Odunze won’t lay claim to that title for several years, but the other two can each make a case. Allen is the most proven veteran with 11 years of NFL experience and over 10,000 yards to his name. But he’s turning 32 and is only under contract for one season. Moore is in his prime and thrived with the Bears in 2023. He caught 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns last year– all career highs. But Moore is still in his NFL adolescence compared to Allen’s lengthy track record of success.
That's a bunch to sort through, so don’t feel bad if you don’t know who you should call WR1 on this team.
“We don’t either,” said head coach Matt Eberflus on the “Up & Adams” show.
It’s a new day in Chicago. One in which the question will be, “How will they distribute the ball evenly enough to keep everyone happy?” rather than “Can anyone step up on third down?”
“I feel like it’s going to be a race to 1,000 yards,” said Moore on the show. “It should be amazing.”
Moore isn’t worried about any drama developing if one receiver significantly out produces the others. For one, no one would describe Allen, Moore or Odunze as a “diva” wide receiver. Those types of pass catchers are out there and teams need to know how to manage them, but it shouldn’t be a problem in Chicago. For another thing, Moore believes new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is a man who will know how to use all the weapons at his disposal
Chicago Bears
“I’ve seen the way he distributed the ball in Seattle,” said Moore. “His ways of doing that here is going to be amazing.
“We’ll all eat.”
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Moore has been one of the most consistently productive wide receivers in the NFL since the Panthers drafted him in 2018. He’s hit 1,000 yards in four of his six total seasons. He’s only missed two games total. That reliability is incredibly important and attractive to teams when they’re signing free agents, and with Moore only under contract for two more seasons, he’ll be negotiating a new deal sooner rather than later. A hit to his numbers could impact his next contract.
But Moore said adding another 1,000-yard season to his resumé isn’t his No. 1 priority. He’s got his sights set elsewhere.
“Just making the playoffs. Just showing the growth that we’ve had over the past year or so. Making the playoffs, hitting 10 wins.
“Having 1,000 yards could come second.”
