Panthers great Greg Olsen: DJ Moore is one of the best dudes I ever played with
Greg Olsen didn’t play a whole bunch of games alongside former teammate DJ Moore. But he still knows the Carolina Panthers will be missing a whole bunch without the talented wideout.
Earlier this week, the franchise’s third all-time leading receiver spoke about the franchise’s fourth all-time leading receiver—who was traded to the Chicago Bears back on March 10 as part of the deal for the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick. He told ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy that Moore is as advertised.
“DJ is one of the best dudes that I ever played with,” Olsen said on Monday. “He doesn’t have a lot to say. He’s not a real flashy guy. He’s not out there trying to make a name. But you talk about a guy who, when the lights go on, is a competitor the way he fights with the ball in his hand.”
Moore fought for 364 receptions, 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns over his five seasons in Carolina. The former first-round pick shared a locker room with Olsen from 2018 to 2019, and apparently made a quick impression in that time.
“From the first day we saw him as a rookie when we drafted him, he almost is like part wide receiver, part running back,” Olsen added. “The way he runs with the ball, he’s got a low center of gravity, he’s very strong with the ball in his hand. He looks like a running back when he’s running with the ball, which is not the norm. You know, most receivers are not really looking for contact. They’re not really looking to play physical with the ball in their hand. They do most of their damage before. So DJ is a little different in that regard.”
We’ll see how physical DJ gets on Nov. 9, when he and his Bears host the Panthers for a Thursday night showdown. And we’ll also see if that potential “revenge game” is anything like the infamous “Blood and Guts” outing, one Olsen also had a front-row seat to.
