Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has been the target of criticism after he walked off the field in the middle of a play during Sunday’s game, but there are a couple of possible explanations for what happened.
The Bears had the ball at midfield early in their game against the Arizona Cardinals when Caleb Williams took a snap on 2nd-and-6 and scrambled around looking for a receiver. As Williams was avoiding defenders, Moore headed to the bench. You can see the receiver walk off the field near the right side of the video:
Didn't notice this live, but on this extended scramble play that ended in OPI on Keenan Allen, DJ Moore took himself off the field with what looks like some kind of injury. He limped off at the end and sat on the bench. pic.twitter.com/YTnrZNDYfW
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) November 4, 2024
Moore appeared to have a slight limp as he exited, so one theory is that he tweaked something and took himself out. Another possible explanation is that Moore had stepped out of bounds and become an ineligible receiver. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters on Monday that he thought Moore may have taken himself out of the play to avoid having Williams pass to an ineligible receiver.
Eberflus on DJ Moore walking off the field https://t.co/fxjBNEYz6J pic.twitter.com/cU7eflHXpR
— Barroom Network | Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) November 4, 2024
Whatever the case, fans felt it was not a good look for Moore.
Williams threw an incomplete pass. Keenan Allen was called for offensive pass interference on the play, anyway. The Bears went on to lose the game 29-9.
Moore’s decision to walk off the field came a week after a Bears player had one of the most embarrassing blunders of all time. The Bears are 4-3 and remain squarely in the playoff hunt, but there have been signs that they are headed in the wrong direction.
At some point, Moore might want to provide an explanation for why he seemed to quit on his team while his quarterback was trying to make a play.
