Matt Nagy knows that the Chicago Bears need a quarterback. A lot of people don’t seem to think any reputable ones would want to come here. What does this team have? Their best offensive player in Allen Robinson is a free agent. Tarik Cohen is coming off a torn ACL. David Montgomery is fine but not a star. Anthony Miller has been a disappointment. Jimmy Graham is aging and Cole Kmet is unproven. What else is there? One thing is for sure. Don’t ignore Darnell Mooney.
Nagy made that clear during his recent interview with Brad Biggs and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. He singled the young wide receiver out as somebody he admittedly didn’t see coming in 2020. He knew the Bears scouts and wide receivers coach Mike Furrey all loved him. It just wasn’t easy to know if the skinny kid from Tulane could cut it. Then the season happened. Now the head coach is a firm believer that Mooney is not only good but has a chance to be special.
How special? Check out the name he drops.
Tyreek Hills has an argument for being the best wide receivers in the NFL. Already a five-time Pro Bowler at age 27, he’s coming off an incredible year where he posted 1,276 yards with 15 touchdowns. He was quite literally unstoppable. By far the most feared deep threat in the game today. For Nagy to compare Mooney to him from a talent perspective is the highest of compliments.
Obviously, the kid isn’t there yet. He’s got work to do. Yet the coach seems convinced it’s only a matter of time. Mooney not only has great speed of his own. He’s been able to match it with good route-running and a strong pair of hands. Combine all of that with a relentless work ethic? It is pretty easy to see why he now holds the Bears rookie record with 61 receptions.
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Darnell Mooney is a QB away from showing the NFL something
What was so frustrating about last season was that Mooney left a lot of yards and touchdowns on the field each week. This because his quarterbacks routinely weren’t able to hit him down the field when he was open. Mitch Trubisky just never had a good deep ball. Nick Foles was under pressure too often to have many clean chances. If Chicago wants to unlock the full potential of their budding young receiver, they have to find him a capable quarterback.
Rumors have flown in every direction since the offseason began. The hottest and most sustained at the moment center on Russell Wilson. The seven-time Pro Bowler is having problems with the Seattle Seahawks. Enough to where there is a legitimate possibility he gets dealt, and the Bears are one of the teams he’d be interested in joining. If that were to happen, nobody would benefit more than Darnell Mooney.
Wilson is one of the best deep throwers in the NFL.
He routinely ranks in the top 10 for accuracy on throws of 20 yards or more. He’d be somebody who finds Mooney down the field often. Nagy for his part would love nothing better than to give those two the opportunity. As always, the NFL offseason is fluid and nothing is set in stone. One thing is clear. The head coach is pretty certain Chicago has a possible star on their hands.
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