Darnell Mooney may have played his final game with the Bears
The Chicago Bears are heading into the season finale against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 in what could be the final game as a member of the Bears for multiple players on the team's roster. However, one player in particular might have already played his last snap as a member of the team. […]
The Chicago Bears are heading into the season finale against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 in what could be the final game as a member of the Bears for multiple players on the team's roster.
However, one player in particular might have already played his last snap as a member of the team.
Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney will not play in Week 18 after being ruled out of the season finale with a concussion.
The Bears former fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is slated to become a free agent once the 2023 season comes to an end next week. Given his production this season and the expected changes to come in 2024, it's unlikely that Mooney will return to Chicago next season.
Mooney finished his 2023 season with career lows in receptions (31), receiving yards (414) and receiving touchdowns (1). Many point to the addition of star wide receiver DJ Moore has the reason for Mooney's regression.
However, in 12 games in 2022, Mooney posted 61 receptions, 492 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns during a year where he was expected to emerge as the team's top option in the passing game.
The 26-year-old receiver was never a good fit in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's system and continuously struggled to carve out a consistent role for himself within the scheme. Moore, on the other hand, flourished in his first season in Chicago setting career-highs in nearly every category.
Even with a new system expected to be put in place in 2023, it seems Mooney's time in Chicago has come to an end. It's a disappointing reality for the Bears young wide receiver who has now missed the final two games of the 2023 season.
"He's been a true pro," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said on Friday when asked about Mooney. "He's done everything we've asked him to do, and he's done really good for us. There were games where he was targeted, had some catches and did some good YAC yards, and we saw some explosiveness there. He got hurt at the last part of the season and that's unfortunate. But, again, he's gonna put his best foot forward and we'll see where it goes. All those evaluations for each player will be done after the season."
Mooney's career got off to a hot start during his first two seasons where he was able to produce productive seasons for the Bears offense. Mooney's best season came in 2021 where he recorded 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Another team will likely take a chance on Mooney in free agency with hopes that he can find that level of production once again. Spotrac's free agent market value expects Mooney to land a 4 year, $41,980,908 million contract in free agency with an average salary of $10,495,227. He'll definitely need to find a team willing to take on such a major investment, and it's unlikely to be Chicago.
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