Ben Johnson has a lot of work to do as the new head coach of a Chicago Bears franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season.
One of the first things he wants to fix is the players’ body language. He has already talked to 28-year-old wide receiver DJ Moore about it.
Ben Johnson to DJ Moore on Bad Body Language: ‘Just Don’t Do It’
Moore spoke to the media Tuesday after the team’s first of three mandatory minicamp practices. He shared Johnson’s message about his body language.
‘‘Just don’t do it,’’ Moore said, according to the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘Just keep it inside. Talk about it later. Just don’t put it on film. Don’t put it on TV.’’
Moore’s bad body language was captured on television last season when the Bears played the Cardinals. On a play where rookie quarterback Caleb Williams rolled left to avoid pressure, Moore was along the same sideline. As Williams eluded a defender to extend the play, Moore turned his attention away from his quarterback, walked to the bench and sat down.
Williams rolled all the way back to the opposite side of the field before throwing an incompletion in the direction of Keenan Allen. Allen was called for offensive pass interference on the play. Moore, who blamed his ankle for that first-quarter play, finished the game with four receptions for 33 yards.
DJ Moore on taking himself out mid-play last week pic.twitter.com/5JGVswNHr8
— Dave (@dave_bfr) November 6, 2024
“I did it once,” Moore said, “and we nipped it in the bud and it never happened again. I just said, ‘I ain’t never gonna do it again.’”
Moore is the second-highest paid player on the Bears and figures to be a key weapon for Williams in Johnson’s offense. Moore, who signed a four-year, $110 million contract last July, caught 98 passes on 140 targets for 966 yards and six touchdowns last season. It was a disappointing performance after the former Panther tallied 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns during his first season in Chicago in 2023.
In Johnson’s three years as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, he always had at least one 1,000-yard receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown accomplished that feat in all three seasons, averaging 1,313 yards and 9.3 touchdowns as the top target in Johnson’s offense. Jameson Williams also surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the Lions in 2024.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Chicago. Moore is joined in the wide receiver room by 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze and 2025 second-round pick Luther Burden III. Tight ends Cole Kmet and 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland should also both have roles in the passing attack.
If Moore wants to get back to being a 1,000-yard receiver, like he was four times in six seasons since 2019, fixing his body language would be a good place to start.