Bears WR DJ Moore's viral mid-game walk-off was due to a sprained ankle, Matt Eberflus says

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore was responsible for one of the strangest moments of Week 9 when he walked off the field in the middle of a game against the Arizona Cardinals. On Wednesday, we finally got a statement from head coach Matt Eberflus and Moore himself.

Eberflus told the media that Moore twisted his ankle during the game, which happened with 11:13 left in the first quarter. As quarterback Caleb Williams struggled, Moore felt something in his ankle and limped off the field before the whistle blew.

That's different than what he said about Monday's incident. At that point, he said he was unaware of the play and assumed Moore had left the field and simply decided to stay out for the rest of the game.

When asked about it on Wednesday, Moore gave a more detailed explanation of the events. He had already been running during the game when he felt a pinch in his ankle and decided to let his momentum carry him to the sideline.

Moore said the initial ankle twist was painful and didn't improve immediately, but wasn't bad enough to stop. He did drills on the sidelines to warm up before the offense returned to the field.

Moore has a hard time keeping a straight face while talking, giving the impression that he may not be telling the whole truth about what happened, but the entire episode had no bearing on the outcome of the game or Moore's availability. He was able to get back into the game, played for the duration, and the Bears lost 29-9.

The Bears face the New England Patriots on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.