Bears Trade Proposal Ships $5.5 Million Playmaker Out of Chicago

Getty The Bears could consider a Darnell Mooney trade as the NFL's trade deadline nears.

After a miserable 1-5 start, the Chicago Bears could be willing to listen to offers for a potential Darnell Mooney trade leading up to the NFL’s trade deadline on October 31. And if they do, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote that they might be able to find a quality trade partner in the injury-stricken Los Angeles Chargers.

Mooney, a wide receiver, has been a quality starter for the Bears since joining the team as a fifth-round pick in 2020, exceeding 1,000 receiving yards in quarterback Justin Fields‘ 2021 rookie season. Through six games of 2023, though, he has produced unevenly: 10 total catches for 152 yards and a touchdown but also a trio of zero-catch outings.

On top of that, Mooney is entering the final year of his $5.5 million rookie contract and might not be a priority for the Bears as they continue their deep rebuild in 2024.

“Mooney is just two years removed from a 1,000-yard campaign as Chicago’s top wideout, but his role has been greatly reduced since D.J. Moore’s arrival, and the ailing Bears are still looking to offset the value they lost in the Chase Claypool trade,” Benjamin wrote on October 17.

“LA, meanwhile, could use another deep threat for Justin Herbert after Mike Williams’ season-ending injury out wide.”

With Benjamin’s proposed trade, the Bears would flip Mooney to the Chargers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick, currently projected to be No. 109 overall. Chicago would then own three fourth-round selections — Philadelphia’s, LA’s and their own — for next spring’s draft and have the flexibility to trade around the board.

Justin Fields’ Injury Could Motivate Trade Decisions

Chatter about a possible Mooney trade was laughable coming into the start of the 2023 season. Bears general manager Ryan Poles even publicly shot down the possibility of them trading Mooney following the 53-man cut deadline in August.

“Trade rumors, it kind of cracked me up the stuff that I heard,” Poles said on August 30. “We turn every stone, we investigate everything, nothing really got serious. Never thought about or had any conversation about trading Mooney, which was interesting.”

Nearly two months later, though, things have changed for the Bears. The Claypool trade blew up in their face, culminating in a concession deal with Miami that earned them a 2025 sixth-rounder in exchange for the disgruntled wideout and a 2025 seventh-rounder. Fields is also now dealing with a dislocated thumb in his throwing hand that could keep him sidelined for multiple weeks — or longer if he ends up needing surgery.

If Fields needs to miss significant time, the Bears might have no other choice but to consider which of their trade chips are worth dealing away ahead of the trade deadline. Mooney certainly fits the bill if they do not intend on extending him, especially with several teams — such as the Chargers — in desperate need of polished route-runners.

Bears’ Shrinking WR Depth Could Pose Trade Issues

There are logical arguments for the Bears to consider a Mooney trade, but there is also one big one that could prevent such a deal: a startling lack of receiving depth.

Not only did the Bears dispatch Claypool after a swift fizzle-out, but they also just last week placed veteran wideout Equanimeous St. Brown on injured reserve. He will not be eligible to return to the 53-man roster until Week 10 at the earliest, leaving the Bears shorthanded at a time when they could be starting their backup quarterback.

Not ideal.

The Bears would need one heck of a backup plan at the position if they decided to trade Mooney before the deadline. Moore is a stable No. 1 — when they remember to feed him — but the remaining cast of wide receivers includes fourth-round rookie Tyler Scott and a pair of specialists in Velus Jones Jr. (eight career catches) and Trent Taylor.

The Bears could always sign a street free agent to pad out their depth, but it would be difficult for them to teach their complex offensive scheme to a new player on the fly and expect him to replicate the value that Mooney brings to their offense. Even if Chicago plans to let Mooney walk in 2024, the short-term needs could easily supersede a desire to trade him.