Honestly, if you just look at the box score from this past season, you might think DJ Moore is starting to slow down. You'd be wrong. Stats can be deceptive, especially in an offense that's basically been a revolving door of young talent and shifting schemes.
When people talk about DJ Moore receiving yards, they usually point to those massive 1,100-yard seasons in Carolina or his explosive 1,364-yard debut with the Chicago Bears in 2023. But the 2025 season just wrapped up with Moore sitting at 682 receiving yards on 50 catches. That’s a dip. It’s the lowest yardage total of his career, even trailing his rookie year where he only started 10 games.
But here’s the thing: context is everything in the NFL.
Breaking Down the 2025 DJ Moore Receiving Yards Dip
The Bears’ offense in 2025 wasn't exactly a high-flying circus. Between injuries to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, and a heavy reliance on two-tight end sets, the volume just wasn't there for a traditional WR1. Moore’s target share dropped to around 16%, a far cry from the nearly 29% he commanded back in 2023.
If you're a fantasy manager, that 40.1 yards-per-game average probably felt like a punch in the gut. But look at the efficiency. Despite fewer opportunities, he still managed to find the end zone 6 times, matching his touchdown total from 2024 when he had nearly 300 more yards. He’s still a red-zone threat. He's still the guy Caleb Williams looks for when the play breaks down.
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- Week 16 vs. Green Bay: 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.
- Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh: 5 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Week 9 @ Cincinnati: 4 catches for 72 yards.
He’s still "The Guy." He’s just in a system that stopped asking him to carry the entire world on his shoulders every Sunday.
A Career Defined by Consistency (Until Now?)
Before this year, DJ Moore was the poster child for "quarterback proof." It didn't matter if it was Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, or Justin Fields; the man produced.
Take a look at how his yardage has flowed since he entered the league in 2018:
- 2018 (CAR): 788 yards
- 2019 (CAR): 1,175 yards
- 2020 (CAR): 1,193 yards (A career-high average of 18.1 yards per catch!)
- 2021 (CAR): 1,157 yards
- 2022 (CAR): 888 yards
- 2023 (CHI): 1,364 yards
- 2024 (CHI): 966 yards
- 2025 (CHI): 682 yards
That 2023 season was the peak. He was 6th in the league in yards. He was a monster after the catch. In 2024, he actually had more catches (98) than in his peak year, but the yards per reception plummeted to 9.9. The Bears started using him on shorter, horizontal routes—screens and slants—rather than letting him burn corners deep. By 2025, the vertical game almost disappeared for him entirely, with his total air yards taking a massive hit.
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The $110 Million Question
Why does this matter? Well, Moore is currently the highest-paid player on the Bears' roster. He signed that massive four-year, $110 million extension back in July 2024. In 2026, he’s scheduled to carry a cap hit of $28.5 million.
When you pay a receiver $27.5 million a year, you expect more than 682 yards.
There’s already a ton of chatter in league circles—Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron mentioned it recently—that the Bears might actually look to move him. The Tennessee Titans have been floated as a potential landing spot. They need a veteran presence for a young QB like Cam Ward, and Moore fits that "middle-of-the-road No. 1" mold perfectly as he enters his age-29 season.
What's Next for Moore?
If you're looking at DJ Moore receiving yards for your 2026 projections, don't write him off. The talent hasn't evaporated. He’s still one of the best in the league at creating separation and making contested catches.
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The drop in 2025 was largely a product of a team trying to find its identity. If the Bears (or a new team via trade) decide to feature him again, a return to the 1,000-yard club is almost a guarantee. He's only 28. He has 8,213 career receiving yards. He’s closing in on 10,000, a milestone that usually puts you in the "Great" category.
For those of you tracking this for dynasty leagues or just general NFL fandom, keep an eye on the Bears' coaching staff changes this offseason. A new offensive coordinator might be exactly what’s needed to stop wasting his route-running ability on 4-yard hitches.
To get the most out of Moore moving forward, look for these three things:
A return to an Average Depth of Target (ADoT) above 12 yards, a consistent target share of at least 22%, and a quarterback willing to let him win one-on-one battles down the sideline. If those factors align, that 682-yard season will look like nothing more than a weird outlier in an otherwise stellar career.