Bears' DJ Moore reveals initial reaction to being traded to Chicago last year

The Chicago Bears locked up DJ Moore with a lucrative contract extension this week, but Moore joining the Bears didn't initially seem like a match made in heaven.

They rewarded their star with a four-year contract extension worth $110 million, according to multiple reports, the most lucrative deal in franchise history.

The deal comes after Moore's first season in the Windy City, after he had spent his first five seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

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And when he arrived in Chicago, he said, he was a bit anxious about it.

"When I first got the call, I was like, 'Ah s---,'" Moore told the media Wednesday at training camp. "Then I was like, new beginnings, new everything. … We bought in, and once we got here, there's no looking back. We here now for the long haul."

Moore had signed an extension with the Panthers and "had just moved into a new house" before being traded.

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"So, it was like, ‘Dang, we got traded.’ I was coming down the driveway, got the phone call. 'Yeah, you’ve been traded.' [Bears general manager Ryan] Poles called me. 'Hey, we're glad to have you.' So, that changed my whole mindset."

Moore had an impressive year in his first Bears season in 2023 with 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs for someone who already had three 1,100-yard seasons under his belt in Carolina. 

With Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, under center this season and beyond, the Bears are clearly expecting Moore to be his favorite target for years to come. 

The trade that sent Moore to Chicago also got them Williams because the Bears received Carolina's 2024 first-round pick, which they used to select Williams, as part of the deal for Moore. 

Moore figures to be the No. 1 receiver with two newcomers — 11-year veteran Keenan Allen and ninth overall pick Rome Odunze out of Washington — in the fold.

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