The Chicago Bears spent the offseason completely overhauling their passing game. It started with the trade for wide receiver Keenan Allen in March, followed by the selection of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze in the 1st round of the draft. Together with wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, this might be the most talented group the organization has ever put together. Steve Smith Sr. recognized what that meant right away. While the overall benefit would be to the team, it would also create healthy competition for the ball.
Moore made that clear during an interview with analyst and Bears fan Kay Adams on her podcast. There is no beating around the bush. He issued a direct challenge to his new teammates.
It isn't a surprise things developed this way. Moore and Allen both eclipsed 1,000 yards last season. The primary way this was accomplished was through targets. Moore had 136 and Allen had 150. There are only so many passes a quarterback can throw in a given season. That means he will have to spread the ball around. It is rare for two pass targets to eclipse 1,000 in a year and ultra-rare when three do it. This means the odds are favorable that at least two of those four names won't reach the milestone, and perhaps three, with Williams still being a rookie.
So, DJ Moore is correct. It will be a race to see who tops the 1,000-yard mark. Moore has done in four of the last five seasons. Allen has done it in five of the last seven and would've had more, if not for injuries. Kmet crept closer last year with 719 yards. Odunze had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons during his final two years at Washington. This will be a heated competition between multiple alpha dogs who expect to get the football a lot. It is exactly what GM Ryan Poles intended.
Moore decided to fan the flames.
