After the arrival of Justin Fields in Chicago following the 2021 NFL Draft, many Bears fans were excited to see the relationship Fields would develop with the Bears receiving core.

Specifically, fans anticipated an instant connection between Fields and veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson.

Entering 2021, Robinson had over 1100 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, and his stock seemed to be on the rise with the idea of Fields in the Bears' offense.

To the surprise of many, 2021 was not kind to Allen Robinson. In 12 games with the Bears, Robinson had just 410 receiving yards, and only one touchdown. The chemistry with Fields was very clearly lacking.

Despite Robinson’s lack of production, Justin Fields did manage to build chemistry with one of Chicago’s rising stars, Darnell Mooney.

Mooney was drafted by the Bears in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he had an impact on the team almost immediately. As a rookie, Mooney posted 631 receiving yards and caught 4 touchdowns.

In his sophomore season, with Fields throwing the passes, he broke out in a big way.

While the Bears offense struggled, Mooney was the silver lining. Mooney had 1055 yards over the course of the 17 game schedule, and was clearly the favorite target for the Bears’ young quarterback.

The chemistry between the two had been building from the moment Fields became a part of the Bears organization. After Fields was drafted, he trained with Mooney in the weeks leading up to Bears camp in order to gain rapport with his teammate.

Fields and Mooney appear to have gone through that same process one year later in preparation for the big season on the horizon.

In a press conference after voluntary workouts this week, Darnell Mooney discussed his goals for the 2022 season, and shared that he had been working out with Fields over the past few weeks and claimed the two had only improved on their relationship.

“It was very beneficial,” Mooney said. “We grew on the field and off the field, learned (about) each other more than what we knew of each other.”

Mooney also felt strongly about the way the two seemed to communicate.

“I was staying with him at the time, so we were just sitting in the house whenever we were done working out, just talking, communicating just about life and football and what we were expecting throughout this season,” said Mooney.

According to Mooney, he and Fields did not work on any specific plays, but they both felt as if they grew a lot throughout the process.

A strong relationship between Mooney and Fields can only mean good things for the Chicago Bears in 2022. With a new scheme and coaching staff in place, there is real reason to believe that this exciting duo can take the next step into NFL stardom for the Bears.

It becomes even easier to believe that when you understand the dynamics of their growing relationship. A quarterback and wide receiver that are committed to building chemistry is a duo that is committed to winning together.

For Fields, it’s comforting to know that he has a reliable option down field that he trusts. That can be the difference maker in a young quarterback’s development.

For Mooney, the 1000-yard milestone may have only been the beginning. If the Bears are able to add a supporting cast of weapons to the offense before the season, Darnell Mooney is bound for a breakout year.

If him and Fields keep clicking, the Bears offense may be in okay hands after all.

Featured image via Ashlee Rezin-Chicago Sun-Times