Chicago Bears receiver Darnell Mooney enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021. Now the third-year wideout is looking to prove he's a true No. 1.
"It's nice. I'm not satisfied yet," Mooney told Ehsan Kassim of The Gadsden Times. "I don't plan on getting satisfied yet. I have a lot more in the tank that has been hidden. Hopefully, I can let all of that out this year."
Mooney was a revelation for the Bears last season, netting 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. With Allen Robinson dealing with injuries, no other Bears receiver even reached the 500-yard receiving mark in 2021.
With Robinson departing for L.A., Mooney is the clear alpha in Chicago. The cap-strapped Bears added Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown in free agency and plucked Velus Jones in the third round of the draft.
The makeup of the Bears receiver corps portends Mooney garnering a ton of targets from Justin Fields in 2022. That will also come with a boatload of attention from opposing defenses.
"I'm ready for whatever anybody brings to me," Mooney said. "I'm ready for any task, any type of defense that we're seeing, whatever it is, anyway, I can help the team. You know, if I get double-teamed, I'll be a decoy for the team so everybody else can be open. I mean, I'm good with that. Anyway I can help win."
The Tulane product proved last year he has the route-running skills, speed and hands to be a difference-making talent. With Chicago not adding a proven commodity at receiver this offseason, the passing offense will need Mooney to be that field-tilting target for the passing game to operate under new coordinator Luke Getsy.
