For the first time in a long time, Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney is going to have some help in the passing game. The team acquired Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the deadline in November and D.J. Moore was part of the return package from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Mooney came out of nowhere as a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, catching 61 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. He followed that up with a breakout 2021 campaign, catching 81 passes for 1,055 yards despite Chicago having one of the least explosive passing games in the NFL, ranking 30th in passing yards.
In 2022 their passing game was even more anemic, as the Bears ranked last in passing yards. Mooney caught only 40 passes for 493 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. Those numbers both led the team despite suffering an ankle injury that ended his season early.
He is still feeling the impact of that injury. The Tulane product has yet to get back on the field but he has been present at the team’s facility this offseason.
He has continued rehabbing and Bears’ wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert revealed this weekend that the team is hopeful Mooney will be able to go when training camp gets underway this summer.
“He’s great with his rehab. He’s running right now. He’s doing well. . . . His attitude has been great. He’s in here every single day,” Tolbert said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com.
Once he is able to get back on the field, he will be playing with the most talented group of wide receivers the Bears have had during his tenure. He will no longer be stretched out as the only go-to receiver for Justin Fields, with Claypool and Moore providing new elements to the passing offense.
Heading into the final season of his rookie contract, 2023 is a big year for Mooney. He can put himself in position for quite a payday as wide receivers have received some massive contracts in recent years and more lucrative deals are certainly on the horizon.
