D.J. Moore puts exclamation point on previous Carolina Panthers' incompetence

D.J. Moore was visibly bitter and made no secret of his displeasure about being made surplus to requirements by the Carolina Panthers when they moved up for quarterback Bryce Young.

Those in power at the time deemed him expendable over the likes of Brian Burns and Derrick Brown during negotiations for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. It raised a few eyebrows in the locker room considering the wide receiver's talent. Moore had a chance to make his old team pay for the first time in Week 5.

It was an opportunity he wasn't going to waste. Moore torched the Panthers throughout the first half as the Chicago Bears built up a commanding lead. His ability to stretch the field, get open quickly, and contested catch prowess were on full display. This is something Carolina has sorely lacked since his enforced departure.

D..J. Moore torched the Carolina Panthers for instant revenge

Moore caught three receptions from four targets for 83 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He played with a fire akin to someone out for revenge. The Bears also did a nice job of keeping him away from Jaycee Horn more often than not, which was a smart way to approach matters with Carolina opting not to shadow the prolific pass-catcher with their best coverage presence.

Considering how previous general manager Scott Fitterer fumbled Burns' contract situation before he was also traded, including him in the deal would have been far more beneficial in hindsight. The Panthers felt like Moore was the most replaceable out of the three players coveted by Chicago. They were wrong.

All this does is prove Carolina's previous incompetence. This franchise is a complete mess and it's going to take years to fix despite new general manager Dan Morgan claiming this was a retool, not a rebuild. He might want to revisit these comments based on how things have unfolded in 2024 so far.

Moore will cast a wry smile after the game, knowing he got one over on the team that gave up on him so quickly. That's a satisfying feeling in any walk of life.

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