Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore was responsible for one of the strangest moments of Week 9 when he walked off the field in the middle of a play against the Arizona Cardinals. On Wednesday we finally received an explanation from head coach Matt Eberflus and Moore himself.
Eberflus told the media that Moore had sprained his ankle during the play, which occurred with 11:13 left in the first quarter. As quarterback Caleb Williams struggled, Moore felt something in his ankle and limped off the field before the whistle blew.
I didn’t realize this live, but on this extended play that ended in OPI on Keenan Allen, DJ Moore came off the field with what appears to be some type of injury. In the end he limped out and sat on the bench. pic.twitter.com/YTnrZNDYfW
— Nicolás Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) November 4, 2024
That’s different from what he said about Monday’s incident. At the time he said he hadn’t been aware of the play and thought Moore had gone out of bounds and decided to sit out the rest of the play.
Moore gave a more detailed explanation about what happened when asked about it Wednesday. He had already been running during the play when he felt a pinch on his ankle and decided to let his momentum carry him to the sideline.
Moore said the initial ankle roll was painful and didn’t go away immediately, but it wasn’t severe enough to stop him. He did bench drills to stay warm before the offense returned to the field.
Moore has trouble keeping a straight face while speaking, giving the impression that he may not be telling the whole truth about what happened, but the entire episode had no bearing on the outcome of the game or Moore’s availability. He was able to get back into the game, played the entire time, and the Bears lost 29-9.
The Bears face the New England Patriots on Sunday at 1 pm ET.