Chris

Moore

The release of Moore comes shortly after Zay Jones was reinstated from his five-game suspension. Moore, who appeared in all five games for the Cardinals this season, played almost exclusively on special teams and had not recorded a catch. The veteran receiver could land elsewhere as depth, or be re-signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad in the coming days.

A trusted veteran turning 31 in June, Moore helps beef up the Cardinals’ receiver depth after they let Marquise Brown walk and traded Rondale Moore. Moore’s 22 grabs for the Titans last year were the second most of his career. He would do well to reach 20 again in 2024.

The Titans sustained several injuries at receiver this season meaning Moore was occasionally asked to step into a starting role. He popped up with a big play or two a surprising number of times, amassing three catches of over 40 yards and nine grabs that gained at least 20 yards. He ended the year with 22 catches for 424 yards plus 39 rushing yards. Moore’s big-play potential as a receiver and his prowess on special teams will earn him a spot on an NFL roster in the offseason.

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton delivered a brutal, helmet-to-helmet hit to Moore in the third quarter. Moore stayed on the ground for a moment before getting on his feet. He then staggered as he tried to leave the field and needed the help of a few teammates to stay upright. Hamilton was ejected for the hit. Moore ended the day with one catch for six yards.

Moore has emerged as a deep threat for Tennessee over the last couple of weeks with Treylon Burks banged up. He’s not playing a big role in terms of snap count and targets, but he’s being targeted on impact plays, including a 44-yard pass down the sideline in the second half. All of that does make him a boom-or-bust fantasy option that’s best left for DFS tournaments.

Moore spent the past two years in Houston. He played a mix of offense and special teams in 2021 but injuries ahead of him on the depth chart landed Moore a starting role for nearly half of the 2022 season. Moore road the wave of extra targets to a 48/548/2 receiving line. He set career highs in catches and yards. With how thin the Titans’ receiving room is, Moore could stumble into a meaningful role in Tennessee. He’s not on the fantasy radar yet but is a name to watch out for in training camp.

In an alternate reality, Moore brings in the first-and-10 touchdown catch he barely put on the turf and is a Bears legend. Instead, he settles for another ho-hum line with Brandin Cooks grabbing most of the wideout work. By far the most impressive of the Texans’ reclamation projects at wideout, Moore almost doubled his career target total this season and showed a penchant for contested catches and winning late in the down. A willing special teamer with return experience, he’ll turn 30 this offseason but has shown enough to compete for a 53-man roster spot as a free agent.

He’s not as involved and tends to get shorter routes with Brandin Cooks back the last two weeks. It was a brief flash of light, the Chris Moore WR3 weeks, and we all enjoyed them. It’s time to let them rest, even with a Week 18 date against the Colts.

Notably, Moore caught both of his passes from Jeff Driskel, who was mothballed late in this game. Four targets qualify as coming back to the pack in a big way for Moore after back-to-back games of 11 and 9 with Brandin Cooks out. Moore likely qualifies more as a desperation FLEX than a reliable one in Week 17 against the Jaguars.

Moore is regarded as “trending in the right direction” by Aaron Wilson. He got in three limited sessions this week. It’s possible that he plays more of a supporting role this week with the expected return of Brandin Cooks from a calf injury.