The Los Angeles Chargers are in need of some receiving help, as they lost top wide receiver Mike Williams for the season with a torn ACL earlier in the year. The Chargers still have Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer, but they could certainly use a third wide out to complement the group and provide another target for Justin Herbert. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has an idea for Los Angeles: Chicago Bears receiver Darnell Mooney.

There was a time when it looked like Mooney was about to ascend into the upper echelon of NFL wide receivers, as he hauled in 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns in 2021.

However, since then, Mooney’s production has declined. He caught just 40 passes for 493 yards and a couple of scores in 12 games last season, and thus far in 2023, he has logged a mere 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown in a reduced role.

The 25-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, and if his lack of targets this year is any indication, the Bears will likely be moving on from him in the spring.

So why not trade him now?

Benjamin suggests that the Chargers send a 2024 fourth-round draft pick to Chicago for Mooney, which would satisfy the Bolts’ need for a third receiver while also giving the Bears an exit route with Mooney that also lands them an asset in return.

Darnell Mooney clearly has talent, so perhaps he can flourish in an offense led by one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Herbert.

Los Angeles is just 2-3 on the season, most recently falling to the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday. Things won’t get any easier for the Chargers in Week 7, as they are getting set to head on the road to battle the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bolts are starting to reach must-win territory, and their job would certainly be easier with more weapons in the aerial attack.

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