One of the biggest surprises in Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season happened in Arizona. The Cardinals earned their third win in a row with a 29-9 drubbing of the Chicago Bears .
The Bears struggled on offense, gaining just 241 yards, their third-lowest in a single game this season. They gained just 73 yards during a second-half shutout to fall to 4-4.
However, one of the more perplexing plays came in the first quarter. With the game scoreless, Chicago was facing second-and-6 from the Cardinals’ 48 when quarterback Caleb Williams dropped back.
After the protection broke down, Williams scrambled outside the pocket for nearly 12 seconds before firing a pass to Keenan Allen , which fell incomplete. Attentive viewers later noticed wide receiver D.J. Moore surprisingly walking off the field mid-play and heading for the bench.
Moore caught a key third-down pass to extend the drive two plays later. He’d end the day with four catches for 33 yards on nine targets.
Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus didn’t have an answer for why Moore took himself out of the play when asked about it on Monday.