Chicago’s Lake Forest –Last summer, DJ Moore, a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, was running late for a practice with quarterback Justin Fields, but he didn’t want to rush. Moore smoked a cigar and sipped his morning coffee as he drove down the street.
By the time he got there, everyone had warmed up and stretched. Moore put on his cleats and went right to work, surprising Fields and the others with how quickly the 26-year-old receiver went from zero to 100 yards.
Fields laughed, “[He] balled out and drove off with a cigar in his mouth.”
After the home team’s 37-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on New Year’s Eve, just hours before the clock struck midnight, a strong scent of cigar smoke permeated the Soldier Field locker room. Moore started the festivities on the Bears’ seventh and last victory of the 2023 campaign by bringing in boxes of cigars for his colleagues to savor.
Moore wanted to share his passion for cigars, which he acquired from former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, following a turbulent season that started 0-4.
Moore had much to be happy about. In March 2023, the Bears acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Panthers, and he played a significant role in the package they obtained. He also had one of his greatest seasons. With 1,364 receiving yards and 80.2 receiving yards per game, he set career highs that were in the top eight among all receivers. In addition, 96 receptions and eight touchdowns were caught by him.
In the 104-year history of the team, Moore became the fifth receiver to get 1,300 yards in a single season. Additionally, he made this statement on the fifteenth anniversary of Muhsin Muhammad, a former receiver for Carolina, claiming that Chicago is a place where receivers go to die. In this instance, Moore prospered after moving to Chicago.
However, Moore’s underuse was a contributing factor in the Bears’ 7-10 campaign. In just four games—all of which the Bears won—did he garner double-digit targets. Following Luke Getsy’s firing, the onus of solving that issue will likely rest on a new offensive coordinator as well as a new quarterback.
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