LAKE FOREST, Ill. – DJ Moore went 12-2 in his senior season at Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia. The Panthers were perfect in conference but flamed out in the first round of the AAA bracket of the Pennsylvania state playoffs.

Moore hasn’t played in a playoff game since. That streak will snap Saturday night, when the Bears play the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card round at Soldier Field.

That’s not the only drought-snapping taste of success the veteran receiver enjoyed this season. His team hasn’t had a winning record since that 2014 campaign with Imhotep Institute Charter. He had a 13-24 record over three seasons at the University of Maryland, where his team never had more than six wins.

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Moore was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2018, during a terrible period in their history, and then was shipped to a rebuilding Bears team in a 2023 trade. He always posted huge numbers, but his teams never won much.

Moore’s combined professional record entering the 2025 campaign: 41-75.

Add in his college days: 54-99.

That’s why Moore has appreciated this this Bears season as much as any. They went 11-7, won an NFC North title and are preparing to host a playoff game.

What a flip of script. While his stats have dipped with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams spreading the ball around, Moore is loving every minute of this season.

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“It’s great,” Moore said Thursday. “When you look at it, no winning seasons since high school. It’s crazy. To be in this locker room, with these guys, especially my rookies, they make the game young again. You just have fun.”

Moore is in an odd spot, as a veteran and star player who doesn’t have much advice on playoff football.

“This is my first time in this thing, too, so I’m just going with the flow and working hard,” Moore said. “You can tell everything has been amped up, even our practices have been so. There are a lot of bugs, a lot of butterflies going around, but we forced. Now we just have to go out and execute.”

While the Bears want playoff newcomers to keep the game in proper perspective, Moore isn’t telling anyone to settle down: “You wouldn’t tell a lion not to go feast.”

Moore will give it his best and do the most with opportunities given. He capitalized on a massive one during a Week 16 victory over Green Bay, when he called game with a 46-yard touchdown catch to win it in overtime.

That iconic catch will live on in Bears lore, but Moore hasn’t etched it into his mind with repeat viewings.

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“I haven’t really gone back and watched it,” he said. “You watch it in film, but that’s it.”

Roschon Johnson gave Moore a now-famous cheese grater hat to wear when receiving a game ball. It was fitting considering his investment in always beating the Packers, especially on Saturday in the playoffs.

“They’re always chirping. There’s always some talking going on, somewhere, somehow,” Moore said. “It is what it is. The rivalry speaks for itself, but the players on both sides are pretty amped about this third matchup. It’s about getting out there and executing. …

“Even though it’s Saturday night, it’s still a ways away. It can’t get here fast enough.”