Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - DJ Moore tells his side of story on Bears' last offensive play against Rams

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote reacted to Bears receiver DJ Moore's comments about his role in quarterback Caleb Williams' fateful, game-changing interception in overtime of Chicago's loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

DJ Moore was at the NFL honors last night. He was representing the Bears. He did accept the award for moment of the year, which I thought was great. It was the touchdown to win in overtime. He was a part of plays of consequence, as we've discussed. And one of them, of course, was the Bears' final offensive play of the 2025 season. The divisional playoff in overtime. Second 8-8 at the Rams 48.

We know what happened. Caleb Williams was looking for DJ. there was a discussion about the route concepts being different. That would make it make sense because of whether or not you flatten a route, meaning you go closer to the quarterback underneath the safety or you go up and over safety. So we had heard from DJ.

He didn't talk the day when the bears clean out their lockers. Mark, you thought that was strange. That's not something that he normally does, right? That was something where you felt like he's usually there. Yeah. I mean, I presented it in the question directed towards I remember it was better

Ryan, but saying that it's very rare when DJ Moore doesn't speak to us. Yes. And he did not speak to us on Locker Clean Out Day. We did not talk to him after that game. Yes. Either he was not available. That's incredibly rare

and he left after his meeting with the team and so I wondered out loud, was there something going on? Was he dissatisfied? Was he upset? Was he not happy with what was going publicly. And the more quiet it was from at least DJ's side, I think Caleb

Williams did a good job explaining what he saw, which is what we discussed. Route, miscommunication. And while it made sense, we tend to want to hear from everybody involved. Ryan Poles was a little more cryptic about talking about DJ,

and I think that fueled the fire a little bit. But we finally got some answers. As we mentioned, DJ Moore, in the Bay Area, representing the Bears also for the NFL honors and our friends at CHGO. Adam Hogan, Adam Johns, asked him about what happened on that final play that resulted in the camcourle interception and ultimately the Bears exiting the playoffs. That last play has come up in conversation a lot. Take us through it. Your side of the story,

please. My side of the story is just like everybody else is. It's just miscommunication. We've got to attack it the next time we got something like that and just go from there. So is that a sufficient enough answer for you? I appreciate the question being asked. I appreciate the answer that he gave, but it doesn't answer the question as to really miscommunication is just very easy to say from both sides. Neither has said what the miscommunication was. Well, I mean, Caleb did say he talked about like he thought he was going to go more vertical.

He thought he was going to go underneath with the route. he thought Caleb said DJ went more vertical, which is what happened there. So do you think that he is, that's his, when he just says, generally speaking, it's a miscommunication, I agree that he's agreeing with what Caleb said? I think it can be true that there's a miscommunication. Here's where I think the rub is. Whose play was it supposed to be? Like, who's correct on the play that was assigned?

Was receiver correct on the route he ran? Or was quarterback correct on the ball he threw? that's that's the part of it where you're still wondering what happened. But as far as having plays like that day in and day out in the NFL and making them work regardless, that's the hard part. You know how I feel about this. Game isn't one or lost on one play, but that's the lasting impression in our minds. It's amplified because DJ makes the money he makes.

He has the responsibility he has. It's amplified because Caleb Williams has a responsibility he has. so then everything gets turned up to 10. But the question of what was the play supposed to be, period? I think Caleb, Ben Johnson, and DJ Morneau, maybe the rest of the offense. Yeah, and that is the part that we don't have yet. And could Caleb have, of course he could have checked down. We know that part of what the opportunity cost is when we're talking about Ben Johnson

and Caleb Williams is that they are going to big game hunt. Both in their respective ways are going to take big time chances and that's what Caleb did. And this thing too got magnified because you're that play away if DJ does haul it in or

if they make a catch in that spot. You're ready to advance. You're ready to advance on to the NFC title game at that point. So I don't know how much more detective work is actually necessary because I don't know if we needed at this point, and I don't know if we're going to get it,

but I am glad that DJ Moore is finally talking about it. And listening to the various entities that did interview him, that had the opportunity on Radio Row and Video Row and all of that, he sounded good, he looked good, I felt good for DJ Moore, because I didn't feel good. Like, honestly, what prompted me to ask the question on the final day, and any chance I got to ask the powers that be, I did not feel good for or about DJ Moore.

I now feel better about him now and his future, not just at large, but with the Chicago Bears. Right, because he showed up. Yeah, yes. He showed up ready to answer those questions, Leila. If he was really that mad about what happened or if there was a bigger issue, then I don't know that he would have been there.

But here's the other piece of this. Everybody knows he spent five minutes or so in the medical tent before that drive. And we didn't know if, like, maybe there was a concoct. concern. He comes back out. Season's on the line. I'm not saying he broke protocol, but I do know NFL players will push themselves to the absolute limit to do things. Athletes in general see Lindsey Vaughn wanting to downhill ski with a torn ACL right now. That's just the nature of how they're wired. So he comes back out and there's been a lot of questions as to his health. And I would see why, if there was an actual health concern, why he maybe wasn't facing the media,

the day after for locker clean out, right? But the only butt there, Leila, is, and this goes for postgame too. Yeah. Usually they would just tell us. They would just say, like, he's injured. They would tell you if he stayed injured. What if he came back out? They don't want that heat?

Because that would be breaking protocol, would it, not? You talk about if it was a concussion? Correct. Okay, specifically concussion. Yes, yes. but it's odd when after a game we don't get an explanation as to why the player is and if he's injured then we all accept that.

We have no choice but to accept. We're like, okay, that's good. We respect what's going on with him, but that's not what we heard. And what we're doing is letting you into the process and it's not like, oh, we're entitled to this information. But the fact of the matter is, it's not just us who's curious about what happened here.

Don't lie to yourselves. You are too. Of course. So DJ did talk. to CHGO about the injuries he was dealing with at that time. Physically, like, how do you feel? Like, how many things were you battling by the end of the season? Let's just say a lot.

A lot more than the normal person should. That's typical DJ Moore, too. Not necessarily the quantity of injuries that he's dealing with. I have never. I don't know, man. That guy got beat up this season. I believe he's got five different injuries. In my time covering the Bears close up since 20,

18, and this includes having the closest view, having done sidelines for years and seeing and hearing injuries, including the yelling of grown men in pain. I'll never forget, Akeem Hicks, when he got hurt in London and the yelling, and I'm like, oh, my God, feeling this, and then having to report something like that. So I know what an NFL injury looks like. I'm pretty good from my time on the sideline, being able to tell when a player's going have to come out of a game and not return to a game. I can't call it with DJ Moore, though.

He has undergone so many hits since he's come to the Bears a few years ago where I'm like, because he's not a big dude and he, you know, he's fast. And when he gets hit moving fast, it's a hard fall for DJ Moore. And that dude goes, that's it. He's out and he'll come back pop in the next play. I've seen him get hurt in preseason during games. And I've never seen a guy come back more that I didn't expect. to return to a game. So he's tough as it gets.

Wow, yeah. And I agree with you. I think there are times where I sure, because also how he is, you know, when he's in the slot that's dangerous because of that body type. Yes. Typically for me, I think if your primary job is the slot, Luther Burton is a body type that I think works there. DJ's more lean. Like he ran track. You know, that's something, he ran the 400. Like that, you know what kind of body type that is. You're a little more lean. and you're not necessarily like the wide, wide shoulders. You don't have a bigger upper torso. Like, DJ's in shape.

That's not what's a thing. He's a strong guy. He's ridiculously in shape. But when you say that, I think you kind of know the body type that lends itself to going over the middle a little easier. Like there were times where Cole come at by being 6'5, by virtue of his size,

avoided injuries that I think a lot of other people would. DJ, I think, is somebody who I am afraid when the hits come across like that. He can go down, not easily, but it just it looks worse, you know, it just does. So I agree with you. Like, I think he was dealing with a lot of injuries.

But the bottom line is, you may not get the answer you want, but an answer is what we're looking for. So in that case, I'm glad that we're giving him his due, number one, in speaking out now, because it's fair. And then number two, nothing's inconsistent with what we've already heard.

So in my opinion, when Caleb Williams' story lines up enough with DJ's story to make it make sense and everybody else's stories are also kind of on the same page here then I'm copacetic about it all now is it isn't necessarily the answer you need

you know to move on I don't know but for me speaking about it and not being and not being inconsistent with the others is enough for me. Amen, what I'm more interested and I mostly agree with that I think at this point it's not something

that you have to have like a 3,000-word article on the he said, she said, and everything. Like, if it's there, I'd read it. It would be entertaining. I would probably try to get some stuff if I could off the record. I'm still interested as a reporter and a sports fan, like the specifics. But for the most part, the fact that he, again, that he spoke, that he was happy to do it, that he was in line with the miscommunication. I think that, yeah, I think that that is acceptable.

I'm more interested in Layla. is indeed seeing, hopefully DJ Moore will still be here, unless it's a better deal for the Bears for him to not be here, to continue to grow that chemistry with Caleb Williams and not have the games where he's not part of it, because, of course, he made some of the biggest catches of the year, but he had also been missing in games where we're like, where is he?

And how come he's not getting the ball more? Well, and that's it, right? Why wasn't he getting the ball more? you can't target yourself as a receiver. Ben Johnson said one of the objectives is they have to get better as a team at catching the ball. Yes, please. That goes for everybody. That goes for you too.

I'll say it again. We're not talking about this as much if Roma Dunezay catches the touchdown. It was the first question I wanted to ask when I got in the locker room. I gave Rome a couple warm-ups, but I asked them straight up after that. that and he took no excuses. He said, I got to make that catch, period. Period. But that was huge.

He knows. Yeah. He knows. And thank God he knows. Yeah. I don't think anybody's shying away from the questions that we have. And, you know, to your credit, Mark, you told me that DJ doesn't think the media in Chicago is very harsh to him.

He's from Philly, though. So there's that benchmark. Well, I guess so. Yeah, I wasn't sure how to take that because I just remember saying to him sort of off the cuff, like something like people think we're too hard on you guys. you know how like when the hard Bears fans come at you. Oh, you mean the same 50 dudes on Twitter who just make it up even if... May or may not be real.

Suddenly you want to marry Justin Fields, you know, it's to that extent. But he overheard me say that. He's like, what are talking about? He's like, you guys are too hard on us? I go, that's what people say. And he goes, I don't think you guys are. So I was happy to hear that from DJ. Yeah, it's not our job to be a certain way.

Our job is to ask questions and get them answered. Except for that one time I asked. DJ, was it after the Cleveland game when he started to break out? And I was like, I was like, you know, did you need this game? That's right. Did you need the, yeah, basically he gave me that. It said something to the effect of, are you all going to get off my back now? Yeah, he did say that. Remember that? Remember that? He also said it with a smile. Oh, of course it was. And of course people didn't know that and took it a different way. But DJ says a lot with a wink in a smile. I'm not doing my job for Twitter. Like period paragraph. But

It was right to ask him the question and he answered. For those of you actually listening, we'll reiterate it here. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 104-3 The Score. That's right. We're an FM. Are you still not used to hearing that? No, I am just like you have come a long way, Leila, since the first day of the confidence with which you say 104-3 FM has just gone up like notches.

No, yesterday I yelled at myself several times. I tried to give you credit and you wouldn't accept it. Because it's not true. I'm going to say 670 to score. We still don't know what the appropriate punishment is yet for that, but we'll figure it out. The beautiful part about it is it's still accurate. It's not like you're saying something incorrect if you say 670 to score. There I said it.

No, and you can get 670 in a lot of places better than 104.3. The problem is you couldn't get anything in the places where you couldn't get 670, so now we fill in the gaps that way. That's how that works. We call it a continuous body. I do feel really quickly. I do feel bad for the people that. because I think I might have been part of the misleading of my friends in central Illinois.

I have lots of friends in all the central Illinois towns because we were building it up. And I mentioned them. Of course, you're not going to get 104.3 the score as clearly. You'll always have 670 a.m. though. Yeah, C-L.A.15 says LR. 670 versus 1043 update because everybody's doing their own science experiments. Accidentally got, is religion the word? Accidentally got religion this morning. That might be a typo.

Grocery shopping and Dixon. checked it on the score on 104 3, and I found the radio station of I-39-51. Oh, no, life point. Okay, sorry, the text come out of order. Decided to accept Jesus for as long as it lasted. Ironically, Mullenho found their voices on the county road I live on about 1.5 miles west of I-39-51. This concludes my experimenting. Okay, you know, that's what happens.

You'll learn things along the way. Please continue your science experiments and let us know. Peace be with you. And also with you. Thank you. like the new answer. I just don't. Ray Diaz is our producer along with Tyler Buterbaugh. Brandon Fryer helps us out as well. You can text us and call us at 312-644-67, because we also want to get your opinion on one of the NFL honors that was given out last night. Do you think that the

moment of the year was the touchdown to beat the Packers in overtime? Do you? To clinch the North? Do you? So we'll discuss that along with everything else we have going on today, which is a lot of Bears talk from the NFL honors show next. Our producers, we mentioned earlier, our video team is Tyler, video team is Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. They help us out on Twitch, twitch.tv slash the score Chicago, where our Twitch mob is up and chatting. That is our address on YouTube as well. The score Chicago. See, I'm still having trouble. Do you want me to take it from here? I think we should go to break. More NFL honors talk next.