Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore is taking some heat from fans for comments he made ahead of the team’s Week 16 matchup against the NFC North Division rival Detroit Lions.
Moore uttered the comments in question during a media session on Thursday, December 19, after a reporter asked him what he was thinking about in terms of the upcoming offseason, training camp and figuring out everything that has gone wrong with the team this year.
“What I’m thinking about? Vacation,” Moore said in a video that can be watched in full here. “Let [the coaches] do all the work and then, you know, just come back and ready to go.”
Moore appeared fairly clearly to have made the comments in jest, particularly considering the tone of the words he said just before the media asked a follow-up question, which led to his “vacation” schtick.
“It’s been tough, frustrating. Definitely with this losing streak, but it’s football. Some team gotta win, and it hasn’t been us,” Moore said, getting serious after joking that the Bears’ 4-10 season “hadn’t been tough at all.”
“Yeah, we need to figure out, maybe not this year but at the beginning of next year we definitely need to figure it out before we play a real game,” the wide receiver continued.
DJ Moore Caught Online Criticism From Fans, Critics Despite Joking Tone
GettyWide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
Again, while Moore appeared to have made the comments as a joke, there were some fans — and also critics — who took it literally. Meanwhile, others recognized his tone but contended that the wideout shouldn’t be joking about the team’s struggles at all — especially considering how extensive they’ve been.
“Has DJ Moore ever figured out winning?” one person posted to X.
“Dude quit months ago,” another fan wrote.
“Dudes have been checked out for a while now,” a third user commented. “It shows on film. Some more than others.”
“Dude has been kinda ****** since getting the extension,” another person chimed in.
DJ Moore Still Leads Bears in Most Receiving Categories, Despite Downturn in Production From Last Year
GettyWide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
Moore inked a four-year, $110 million contract extension in July that keeps him in Chicago through the 2029 campaign.
He has caught 76 passes on 112 targets for 758 receiving yards and 5 TDs from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams across 14 games this season. Moore hauled in 96 grabs for 1,364 receiving yards and 8 TDs (all career highs) from former QB Justin Fields in 2023, the receiver’s first season with the team.
Moore came over to Chicago via a trade with the Carolina Panthers, which also netted the Bears the draft pick that became the No. 1 overall selection in April 2024, which they used to acquire Williams out of the University of Southern California.
Despite Moore’s dip in numbers this season with Williams in the offensive backfield, he is still leading the offense in targets, catches and yards. Wideout Keenan Allen is ahead of Moore by 1 touchdown, having caught 6 total on the season.
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Bears’ DJ Moore Under Fire for ‘Vacation’ Comments With 3 Games Remaining