Chicago Bears wide receivers haven't had a fun offseason. Even Darnell Mooney, who's viewed by some as a potential breakout player in 2022, has had his share of doubters across football media. Often described as the worst receiving corps in the NFL, the Bears' pass-catchers took another shot to the gut in the latest reveal of Madden 23 player ratings.
Mooney leads Chicago Bears receivers with a surprisingly low 79 rating. It's a score that ranks 53rd among receivers in Madden 23. That's... absurd. Mooney was expected to garner a higher rating in in this year's game because of his mini-breakout season in 2021. He topped 1,000 yards in just his second season in the league and finished with almost identical stats to Washington Commanders' star, Terry McClaurin.
McClaurin, meanwhile, received a 91 rating from Madden 23.
Perhaps, the developers at EA Sports fell victim to groupthink. If they rated Mooney in the mid-80s as he deserves, the backlash from media members who've made a living this summer on bashing the Bears would be intense.
Mooney isn't alone in disrespect for Chicago Bears wide receivers
Here's how the rest of the Bears' receivers fared in the Madden 23 ratings:
- Byron Pringle, 75 overall
- Dante Pettis, 74 overall
- N'Keal Harry, 72 overall
- Tajae Sharpe, 70 overall
- David Moore, 69 overall
- Velus Jones Jr., 69 overall
- Equanimeous St. Brown, 68 overall
- Dazz Newsome, 67 overall
- Nsimba Webster, 67 overall
- Isaiah Coulter, 66 overall
Fortunately, football is played on the field and not in a simulation
Madden 23's player ratings are hardly a measure of how good the Bears receivers can be in 2022, but it is a stark reminder that the opinion of this roster outside Chicago isn't great. There's a reason why the Bears are consistently picking in the top 10 of mock drafts. Analysts -- even video game programmers -- think they're going to stink. And with a wide receiver breakdown like Madden 23's ratings, there's logic behind that thinking.
Wins and losses in the NFL don't happen on paper. They don't happen in simulations. And we won't know how good -- or bad -- this Chicago Bears team and its wide receivers are until the games kick off in September.