Chicago Bears News: Darnell Mooney looks jacked in latest photo

Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney did not participate in the team’s off-season program as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury that ended his 2022-2023 NFL season prematurely but Mooney appears to be ready for training camp later this month.

In photos that surfaced on Monday, Mooney looks like he has gained some muscle this off-season as he was pictured during workouts with Bears’ teammates Justin Fields. D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet at Maine South High School.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney looks ready for an important season ahead.

There is no question that Mooney’s injury last season was a devastating blow to the wide receiver and his chemistry with Fields. Mooney went down with his ankle injury during the Bears’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons last November and it came at a time when the connection between the wide receiver and Fields was truly beginning to develop. Fields was beginning to anticipate Mooney being open and was starting to throw the ball with the confidence of knowing that his wide receiver would get to the ball.

That is an element that has been missing from Fields’ game as a passing quarterback and is one of the traits that will need to be improved this upcoming season if he is going to truly emerge as the franchise quarterback that the Bears believe him to be.

For Mooney, there is no question that this is an important season for his career. Mooney is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and there is some question regarding his future with the team. Chase Claypool is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and given the second-round pick that was used to acquire him last season, it would seem that the team will give Claypool every benefit of the doubt this season to earn a contract extension. It would seem that the Bears will decide between Claypool or Mooney in regard to the wide receiver that earns a second contract with the team.