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Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has taken the meaning of the phrase “Taking a play off” to a completely different level.

Let me state perhaps the most obvious fact about Moore’s responsibility as a receiver: his job is to get open so the quarterback can throw him the ball. That means that he needs to be on the field for that to happen. I know, I know, this is all basic stuff that doesn’t bear mentioning. I agree! Every receiver should know this and do this right if nothing else.

LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 27: DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders during the second half of the game at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

But I bring it up because Moore confirmed yesterday that he struggles with that concept. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you.

Early in the first quarter of an eventual 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Bears were driving and faced 2nd-and-6 near just beyond midfield. The play broke down, and quarterback Caleb Williams scrambled for his life, desperately trying to find someone open.

Williams eventually rolled to his left, and Moore began to come back to the ball and present himself to his quarterback. But once he didn’t get the ball, he literally walked off the field and took off his helmet.

I swear I’m not kidding. He wears number two and the play in question happens at the 10-second mark.

Bruh, what in the world are you doing? I can think of a couple of reasons why he might have given up, but I can also find several arguments that show he was completely in the wrong:

  1. He got hurt on the play – Maybe, but unless you tore your ACL you need to fight through. Moore also didn’t appear hurt in the video.
  2. He thought Williams was sacked or stepped out of bounds – To be fair, it did look like one of the two would happen with the defender closing in on the quarterback. But you don’t stop because you think something has happened, you play until the whistle. What makes this worse is Williams looked back in Moore’s direction after eluding the defender.
  3. He is mad at his coaching situation – Moore has been vocal in the past week about not liking Chicago’s coaching staff. But does that mean you give up while the other 10 guys are working their butts off? Heck naw.

Mind you, this boneheaded display comes just one week after Tyrique Stevenson was too busy to defend a Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders because he was taunting some fans. This signifies a major culture problem within the team, and it needs to change – fast.