Look out for the Justin Fields-Darnell Mooney connection.
The Chicago Bears rookie quarterback and the second-year wide receiver out of Tulane have been spending extra time working out together, and the results have already begun to show on the field.
Fields went 11-17 for 209 yards and an interception in his first career win over the Detroit Lions Week 4. It was just the second start of the rookie QB’s career, and it was a career game for Mooney, who caught five passes for 125 yards. It’s was the first 100+ yard game Mooney has had since his arrival in 2020, and it’s an encouraging sign if you’re a Bears fan.
Several of Fields’ best throws this season have gone to Mooney, and their developing connection on the field likely has a great deal to do with the amount of work they’re putting in together off it.
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Fields & Mooney Working Out Together In Spare Time, After Practice
In a video shared on Twitter by sports performance doctor and chiropractor Michael Tal Risher on October 4, Fields and Mooney can be seen doing mobility exercises together. The location of their workouts is unknown, but Fields’ dog, Uno, can be seen walking around in the video:
It’s also clear based on the recent comments of both Fields and Mooney that, as the wideout puts it, the two are forming a solid connection.
“Me and Mooney, we stay almost every day after practice to throw at least a few extra routes so me and him are pretty much always on the same page,” Fields said after the win over Detroit.
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Mooney & Fields Looking Like the Real Deal
It’s a small sample size, but it’s looking like Mooney may be a favorite target for the rookie signal-caller. The two are developing a rapport that’s hard to deny. They connected on the team’s longest play of the season, a 64-yard bomb that apparently Fields told Mooney was coming his way.
“I mean, me and Justin locked eyes and once he looked at me, I was like, ‘OK,'” Mooney said about the play. “Once he threw the ball, I caught it and I knew the safety was coming towards me, so I was like: ‘I gotta make him miss.’ Then the other guy was behind me. I tried to score, but, next time.”
JUSTIN FIELDS AND DARNELL MOONEY CAN’T BE STOPPED
“I’m not going into the specifics of that play. But he knew he was getting the ball on that play. Like I said before, he ran a great route and it was a great play by him,” Fields said, adding:
“The more explosive plays you can get, the better. Of course, that play was a backed-up play. We were kinda backed up and that was a big shot. And that just goes with momentum and practice.”
So far, the extra work he has been putting in with Mooney has been paying dividends. Whether head coach Matt Nagy allows this connection to continue to flourish is another story. We’ll see what happens.
Matt Nagy once again reiterated that Andy Dalton is still the starter when healthy.
He also praised Justin Fields for his big plays downfield and emphasized the need for more of those.
My advice: React less to what Nagy says on Monday and more to who actually plays Sunday.
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Bears’ QB Justin Fields Has Revealing Comments on WR Darnell Mooney