Odell Who?
This D.J. Moore catch that didn't actually count still might be the catch of the year in the NFL
Since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers, wide receiver D.J. Moore has played with seven different quarterbacks. Seven! Despite the revolving door at the most important position, Moore has still managed to post elite, WR1 numbers, catching 280 balls for over 4,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in just under four full seasons.
Moore's strong early-career stats make you wonder about two things: A. how the hell is he doing it with the likes of Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker and the corpse of Cam Newton throwing him the ball? and B. Imagine what he could do with a legitimate NFL quarterback?
Stuff like the clip you're about to see, we presume. Unfortunately, the catch you are about to see did not count, probably because the quarterback throwing Moore the ball (Walker, who replaced Newton in the game because the Panthers are in QB hell) badly missed him down the left sideline. Moore decided he wanted to make a highlight-reel catch anyway and we're comfortable declaring it the catch of the year* (*that didn't actually count).
Again, imagine he had a real-deal QB like say, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson or, hell, Kirk freakin' Cousins. Even Kirk could get this man the ball. Anything, anyone, but Darnold and Cam and P.J. and Teddy Bridgewater and Taylor Heincke and Kyle Allen and Will Grier (those are all the QBs Moore has suffered through).
Not surprisingly, Moore still had himself a day on Sunday with six receptions for 84 yards, also known as a 14-point fantasy output. The guy simply produces no matter who is throwing him the football, be it a former XFLer or a former No. 1 pick who might definitely need to hang 'em up.