Is Bears WR DJ Moore already in hot water with Ben Johnson?

Let's do some process of elimination to determine who Johnson was talking about, shall we? Rome Odunze had the best game of his career against the Lions. Cole Kmet is the consummate professional. Colston Loveland only played 36 snaps. Olamide Zaccheaus? He played tough. It can't be D'Andre Swift, right? Maybe it can be. But the most logical conclusion to draw is that Johnson was taking a direct shot at Moore.

Moore's Pro Football Focus grade lends credence to this assumption. He scored a 57.3 overall grade and a putrid 54.5 run blocking grade. Remember: No block, no rock, right?

It's worth noting that Odunze had the worst run blocking grade on the team with a 29.7. But Johnson has praised Odunze all offseason; I doubt one bad blocking game will knock him down the reps pecking order.

Moore signed a four-year, $110 million contract extension with the Bears on July 30, 2024, and since then, it's felt like a downward trend for a player who was part of what was at one time considered a massively lopsided trade in favor of the Chicago Bears.

Perhaps this is nothing more than Ben Johnson lighting a fire under all of his skill players. Maybe it's an actual threat to Moore's playing time. Rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III is waiting in the wings, and if he gets an extended look and is able to make some plays, the clock could soon run out on DJ Moore's tenure in Chicago.