Justin Fields to DJ Moore is not yet a thing — it’s still only June. But the Bears’ thirst for an intuitive quarterback/receiver combination that fuels an offense and instills fear in a defense is so great, every pass from Fields to Moore in offseason practices looks like a revelation — and the start of the Bears’ version of Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams.
The Bears are not there yet. Not even close. But they’re trying. From virtually the first moment Fields and Moore stepped on the same practice field at Halas Hall, Fields has made immediate and steady use of Moore, the three-time 1,000-yard receiver acquired as part of a trade with the Panthers for the No. 1 overall draft pick.
The Bears aren’t even bothering with the charade that the best man will be the No. 1 receiver. And neither is Fields. Moore is that man. If there’s such a thing as the quarterback of the 32nd-ranked passing offense having a go-to guy in the spring, this is it.
“It looks like they’ve got that chemistry going very fast — earlier than I expected. They look like they’re best friends,” safety Jaquan Brisker said. “Justin’s definitely throwing him the ball. Justin looks good. He’s going through his progressions. He’s looking very smooth, making good decisions out there and looking like the best quarterback in the NFL. I thought that last year, but this year is different. [Fields] looks different, and him and [Moore] — you’re gonna see. You will see.”
A connection between a quarterback and receiver can happen instantly and there’s no secret to that success. “He’s able to get open,” Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said of Moore. “And I think Justin has that confidence in him to get open.”
But the chemistry that takes that relationship to another level takes time. And Fields and Moore are on a path toward that.
“They quickly got a good rapport with one another,” Tolbert said. “They talk all the time off the field and on the field. Every time Justin’s in there, for the most part, DJ’s in there taking reps. Obviously, the more reps with one another, the better they’ll get. They’ve gotten better and better throughout camp. Really pleased with where they are.”
Of course, offseason practices are where overly optimistic narratives are born. But Moore providing Fields with a dependable No. 1 receiver as part of an overall upgrade of his weapons seems like it has a better chance to come to fruition — at least to a degree.
“I think we’re going to be better around him,” tight end Cole Kmet said when asked for signs of Fields’ progress in the offseason, “so that’s going to help him a lot. His leadership keeps growing. He just gets more confidence in himself every day, so that’s been cool to see.
“We’ll see where it goes and we’re excited about it. But we’re going to be great around him — that’s our goal this year. We’re going to help him a lot so he doesn’t have to do all of the running he had to do last year. So it should work out for both sides.”
Already, Moore has made a difference. He has given Fields a weapon he didn’t have last year.
“It is a big difference,” Brisker said. “Because he has a receiver out there he wants and that he knows he can trust and throw it to. I won’t say anything bad from last year, but just compared to last year, [Fields] just looks different. It’s a different energy.
“And you know that feeling when you’re out there and you see 1 [Fields] and 2 [Moore] out there and he’s throwing that ball to 2 and he’s catching it. It’s timing routes and it’s on time. So it’s a different chemistry right now. It’s just OTAs. They just started. So the sky’s the limit . . . for Justin, for DJ and for that offense. You’re going to see.”
