Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney suffered a season-ending left ankle injury in Week 12's loss to the New York Jets in what's undoubtedly a crippling blow to an offense that was already struggling to make plays in the passing game. And while Mooney's skill set on the field will be lost for the year, coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that he wants the third-year wideout to remain in a leadership role for the Bears over the final five games of 2022.
"No one puts more yards in than Darnell Mooney," Eberflus said. "I’ll promise you that. He laps people. He doubles them up. That’s what the numbers tell me. His speed in his numbers are outstanding. He works extremely hard. What I told him yesterday was just, ‘hey, just hang in there. Things happen. Still be around. We want you to be around and be in that leadership role and helping the younger players out.’"
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The Bears hold Mooney in high regard, which is why he was a strong candidate for a contract extension this offseason. His season stats -- 40 catches, 493 yards, 2 TDs -- aren't WR1 numbers, but he was a victim of a historically bad passing offense for the first two months of the year. As the offense evolved with QB Justin Fields, so too did Mooney's numbers, which is why the timing of his injury is so disappointing.
"Obviously, it was a slow start for everybody," Eberflus said. "Once we got going into the offense, I think he really started to shine. Outstanding at blocking the perimeter. He had a really nice connection with Justin throughout that stretch. He is our leading receiver. But more importantly, he is a great teammate. He’s a great leader."
Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet must step up in Darnell Mooney's absence
The leading receiver role now belongs to Chase Claypool, who had his best game as a Bear with two catches for 51 yards against the Jets. Tight end Cole Kmet's workload as a pass-catcher will go up, too.
Kmet, like Mooney, is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. He's already set a career-high in touchdown catches (6) and has an outside chance to set a career-high in receiving yards, too. His development has been encouraging.
Kmet echoed Eberflus' sentiments about Mooney's leadership on Monday.
“Just his attitude," Kmet said. "You feel it in the building. He’s a guy. He just brings light in the room, a great leader. Just a dude that everyone seems to gravitate toward him. When you lose a guy like that in the huddle, it’s definitely tough for the team. Not only, obviously, he’s a great playmaker, but just his attitude and how he approaches his day-to-day is just really special."
We don't know exactly how long Mooney's recovery time will be. Surgery is expected, and his injury was compared to Saints wideout Michael Thomas' back in 2020. He's never been the same since.
Hopefully, that won't be the case for Mooney, who Eberflus summarized well on Monday.
"He's a great Bear."