(670 The Score) Speaking ahead of the 2024 season, Bears receiver DJ Moore projected it would be a “a race to 1,000” receiving yards among his position group. Instead, nobody reached the finish line.
Moore led the Bears with 966 receiving yards last season. Veteran Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze each had their moments, but the offense's collective struggles kept the passing game from taking off in quarterback Caleb Williams’ rookie campaign. The Bears ranked 31st in the NFL with 181.5 passing yards per game in 2024.
As they look ahead to 2025, the Bears are hoping for drastic improvement from their offense in new head coach Ben Johnson's first season in Chicago. A key part of that is having their wide receiver produce at a higher level more consistently.
Editor's note: This is the latest installment of our Bears offseason outlook series. You can read the previous breakdowns by clicking the links below.
Who’s back: DJ Moore (27), Rome Odunze (22), Tyler Scott (23), Maurice Alexander (28), Samori Toure (26), John Jackson (25)
Free agents: Keenan Allen (32), Collin Johnson (27), DeAndre Carter (31), Nsimba Webster (29)
The Bears' first offseason decision at wide receiver revolves around Allen, who's set to hit free agency.
Allen figures to seek a lucrative contract with a contender, and the Bears will be unlikely to pay a premium. The two sides are expected to part ways this offseason.
After making a significant investment at wide receiver in 2024 by selecting Odunze at No. 9 overall in the NFL Draft and signing Moore to a four-year contract extension, the Bears will likely seek role players to fill out the position now. They aren't expected to be a significant suitor for the top receivers available in free agency.
Moore is an established top target who has 194 receptions, 2,330 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons with the Bears. Odunze, who had 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie, is a promising player who has plenty of upside. They'll be Chicago’s tandem at wide receiver in the years to come.
What’s next?
With Allen unlikely to be retained, the Bears need to enhance their depth at wide receiver.
Free agency will be filled with players who can fill a role behind Moore and Odunze, and the NFL Draft will present mid- and late-round options for the Bears as well.
The Bears are confident in Moore’s place at the top of the depth chart and are hopeful that Odunze will take a significant step in his second NFL season. Beyond that, the focus is on adding competition for complementary roles.
The Bears certainly have a need behind Moore and Odunze. Carter was the Bears' fourth receiver in 2024 and had just nine catches. Scott and Johnson had just one catch apiece.
Prediction: Odunze will be a 1,000-yard receiver
Odunze didn’t have a huge impact in his rookie campaign, though it came with the caveat that the Bears’ offense struggled considerably as a unit.
In his second season, the talented Odunze should be a big beneficiary of having a new play-caller in Johnson and — if the Bears accomplish what they need to this offseason — a better offensive line.
Odunze already has a strong connection with Williams. The two have been in lockstep ever since joining the organization as first-round picks late last April. They'll now have another offseason to prepare and improve together.
Moore certainly has what it takes to be a 1,000-yard receiver alongside Odunze too. He has reached that threshold in four of his seven NFL seasons, including with 1,364 yards in 2023 with the Bears.
It’s worth noting that the Lions had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in 2024 in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams as Johnson called the plays for Detroit's prolific offense.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.