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Darnell Mooney played in all 17 games for the Chicago Bears last season, leading the team in targets (140), receptions (81), receiving yardage (1,055 yards) and touchdown catches (4) — and it appears he did it all while battling through a groin injury.
Just before the Bears kicked off their final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on August 27, Mooney revealed on WBBM Newsradio that he was played through a groin injury all of last season. Bears sideline reporter Mark Grote was first to report the news. According to Grote, Mooney also noted he didn’t feel 100% until the team reconvened for OTAs in spring of 2022.
Mooney popped up on the team’s injury report several times last year, but he never missed a game, nor did he reveal how nagging the injury was. Considering how many offensive categories he led the team in, that’s quite an impressive feat.
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Mooney Enters 2022 Season as Top Target for QB Justin Fields
Mooney established an immediate connection with quarterback Justin Fields in 2021, and that on-field chemistry has only grown in their second year playing together. The 23-year-old quarterback and third-year wide receiver have been working out together throughout the offseason, and they’ll have opposing defenses on notice heading into the season.
“It feels great,” Fields said about his connection with Mooney, via the Chicago Tribune. “It’s just knowing how he’s going to run the route, how he’s going to work the defender, where he’s going to end up. Just the chemistry between us two and the work put in in the offseason, that shows.”
A fifth-round pick out of Tulane for the Bears in 2020, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Mooney has been one of the team’s most pleasant surprises in recent years — and he’s just getting started.
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Mooney Had Career Year in 2021, Looking to Be Better in 2022
Despite dealing with a groin injury that was hampering him, Mooney managed to finish with four 100-yard receiving games last year, establishing himself as a versatile weapon for Chicago’s offense. He took 395 snaps in the slot and 788 snaps out wide, per PFF, averaging 4.8 yards after the catch.
“Last year, I think I struggled with just being there at all times when my number was called,” Mooney told Dan Pompei of The Athletic in July. “I knew I was fatigued a little bit, but my mindset was not coming out of the game.”
Mooney has not missed a game over his first two NFL seasons, and now that he’s feeling 100%, it’s reasonable to expect even more on-field production despite the fact he will zeroed in on by opposing defenses. The young wideout also told Pompei the game has been coming easier to him.
“A lot of things have been slowing down,” Mooney added. “I learned that in OTAs, from my releases to catching the ball to seeing the ball. The ball is coming really slow to me. I don’t know, man. I believe this year will be a crazy year for sure.”
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