LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Justin Fields only just started building a rapport with his new No. 1 wide receiver, but the Bears quarterback's connection with DJ Moore seems to have been doused in rocket fuel early in the process.
"It look like they got that chemistry going very fast, earlier than I expected," safety Jaquan Brisker said Wednesday at Halas Hall after the Bears' eighth OTA practice. "They look good, though. They look like they best friends. Justin’s definitely throwing him the ball. Two’s getting the ball, no doubt. Justin looks good, though. He’s going through his progressions. He’s looking very smooth, making good decisions out there, and looking like the best quarterback in the NFL. I thought that last year, but this year it’s different."
The Moore-Fields connection has been on full display during the three OTA sessions viewed by the media.
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Fields connected with Moore five times during the first session, including a deep strike down the right sideline after Moore toasted cornerback Kindle Vildor with a double move. Last week, Moore lined up in the slot and got quick separation against Kyler Gordon. Fields threaded the ball between two defenders to Moore for a touchdown.
The Bears' passing attack had a shakier day Wednesday, but Moore and Fields still put their stamp on the session.
The offense ended the day with a two-minute drill. Starting in their own territory, the offense was tasked with getting into field goal range with minimal time and no timeouts.
Fields opened the drill by finding Moore for a big gain on a deep cross over the middle of the field to get the offense into opposing territory. An ensuing completion to tight end Robert Tonyan got the Bears into field-goal range.
Brisker has had a front-row seat to the Fields-Moore show during OTAs. From his standpoint, the addition of a true 1A receiver in Moore is already having an impact on Fields.
"I'd say it is a big difference because he has his receiver out there that he wants and that he knows he can trust and throw it to," Brisker said. "I won't say anything bad from last year, but just compared to last year, he just looks different. It's a different energy. And you know that feeling when you're out there looking, and you see 1 and 2 going out there, and he's throwing that ball to 2, and he's getting it, he's catching it. It's timing routes, and it's on time. So it's a different chemistry right now.
"And it's just OTAs, they just started, so the sky's the limit for them for sure. For Justin, for DJ, and for that offense. Sky is the limit. You're going to see."
Fields started working on building his chemistry with Moore the second the star wide receiver arrived in Chicago in March.
The two pillars of the Bears rebuild are in lockstep as they prepare for what many believe will be a takeoff season as the franchise begins its ascent back to contention.
"Justin is just such a cool dude and a great teammate," quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko said of the Fields-Moore connection. "He brought him right in. And then DJ, he’s got the same makeup and the same drive as far as having that dog. So, I don’t think we really needed to do anything there. They came in and went right to work.
"Obviously, the more time you spend around somebody, the better you’re going to grow and going to know. Brady and Gronk didn’t just happen. That grew. So, I think there’s always going to be more growth. You’re always going to want more growth. But what we’ve seen so far has been really good. We try to put them in situations where they’ll be at, where we think they’ll be at, come August, September, October, and let them grow in those situations, and they grow on the field and off the field."
Players of Moore's caliber are force multipliers. They make everyone better simply by existing in their orbit.
OTAs mean little. These are installation practices in shorts and t-shirts. But Moore's importance to the passing game has already shown in how his arrival has elevated everyone around him, starting with Fields.
"His timing is so much better," wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said of Fields. "It looks like he’s more confident in throwing to receivers, with receivers making plays on the ball. Chase [Claypool], when he was in there, made some plays with Justin. Obviously, DJ. Even Dante [Pettis] and even Tyler [Scott] has gotten in to make some plays. Velus [Jones], you saw some today. Everybody’s making plays with him, man."
Fields has put in all the hours to improve as a passer. From the moment the season ended, the third-year quarterback put his head down and worked nonstop in the lab to make himself better.
The Bears are already seeing the results, but adding Moore has amplified it -- giving Fields a tool he didn't have last season. One he needs if he is to make the leap the Bears want to see in Year 3.
"I mean he’s so smooth getting out of breaks," Janocko said of Moore. "He gets off the line. He’s savvy, so he’s smart — he’s really smart. And with a smart player, a smart receiver, the way they can get off, the way they can beat press, the way they can beat cloud. The way they understand coverages, it really helps you get open so you’re not even thinking about, ‘Is he in the window.’ He’s in the window."
Moore's arrival opens a window for Fields. The same one Stefon Diggs opened for Josh Allen and A.J. Brown opened for Jalen Hurts. One to show the NFL what he can do when playing with a full deck.
"One look different," Brisker said of Fields. "Him and two… you gonna see. You will see."