Bears wide receiver DJ Moore said in December he wants Justin Fields to remain under center for Chicago.
He's not changing his tune in February.
As the Bears prepare to take in the pool of quarterback prospects available at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, with many on the outside connecting the dots from their No. 1 overall pick to a QB such as Caleb Williams, Moore is steadfast in his belief that Fields remains the best option.
“I still don’t think they compare to Justin right now," Moore said Monday on NFL Total Access regarding the quarterbacks in the draft.
It's little wonder Moore would back his QB.
He had far and away the best year of his career last season while working with Fields. Moore led the Bears with 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns, all career bests.
“The relationship jelled real well from the beginning," Moore said about forming a bond with Fields following a trade from Carolina last offseason." Since I got traded, he was in contact, and we started throwing together, so it made the transition into games and everything easy.”
A stellar talent, he's amassed 460 catches for 6,545 yards through six seasons despite dealing with musical chairs at QB from the start.
After playing with Cam Newtown during the final year and change of the quarterback's first stint in Carolina, Moore saw the Panthers cycle fruitlessly through a list of signal-callers that included Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield -- plus Newton sprinkled in again.
He likely has no interest in building QB-WR chemistry on the fly for the umpteenth time.
But the Bears hold the top pick in the draft for a second straight year. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Feb. 10 that Chicago would require historic compensation to trade out, something they did last year in the move that netted them Moore.
Fields has shown undeniable flashes, but he has just a 10-28 record to show for it since joining Chicago as a first-rounder in 2021. He's up for a fifth-year option, and the Bears could instead trade him and start over again.
That's the biggest question mark for the Bears, especially as it pertains to the No. 1 overall pick. They also hold the ninth pick, though, and Moore isn't beyond dreaming up a scenario where the team adds a fellow receiver to aid him in shredding defenses.
“I want to say, yeah, we could add another receiver," Moore said. "They got some real talented ones [in the draft]. I know Marvin (Harrison Jr.), so that’d be a choice of mine. But any of those guys that are the big names, I’ve seen and really liked.”
Time will tell if the Bears land a big-name wideout in April's draft to partner with Moore, and all eyes will be peeled on who Chicago decides is best suited to throw them passes moving forward.