Darnell Mooney Finally Broke His Silence And It Came With A Message

Darnell Mooney hasn't been saying much for the past several months. That isn't a surprise. He had to focus on other matters after breaking his ankle late last season for the Chicago Bears. The rehab process was a difficult one. He wasn't able to do any running while the bone healed. That forced him to focus on other ways to keep improving himself. It would explain the recent photographs of him looking abnormally buff. However, he's finally gotten the green light to start running again. Around that same time, he finally broke his silence.

Mooney was at his youth football camp, where Kaitlin Sharkey and Rick Tarsitano of WGN News got the chance to speak with him. He opened up about why he does the camp and how he's feeling with training camp only two weeks away. It sounds like he is pain-free and ready to go. Things got interesting when he was asked about the state of the Bears' revamped offense. His answer was telling.

“Another year in the same offense, under the same regime – we understand it. We’re not just thinking about, ‘Are we doing the right things? Are we not doing the right things?’ I just know my year one to year two was a different thing knowledge-wise. I’m not on a hype train or anything. We’re just going to win. We have to win. Nothing else but that.”

That message persisted throughout the rest of the interview.

He slipped it in again while discussing the newfound chemistry with his teammates after what was a difficult 2022 season.

“It’s extremely important to have that chemistry. To have that family intact. It’s only going to make us better. We have to win. There’s no waiting and seeing how this thing grows. We have to win. It starts off Week 1 and continuing going on from there.”

Then during the close of the interview, he was asked to give Bears fans a message. It was short and to the point.

“Get ready to win. Tired of losing. Don’t go for any hypeness or anything like that. Just get ready to win.”

Darnell Mooney is a man on a mission.

He promised during the interview that the rest of the NFL wasn't ready for what he's bringing this season. His motivation was always high but reached a new level after the injury. People are doubting whether he will ever regain his old form. He is certain the familiarity with the new offensive system and less attention from defenses because of D.J. Moore's arrival will allow him to feast like never before. Yet it's not about stats or even the looming desire for a contract extension. Everything is about winning games.

That isn't a surprise. Chicago has only won nine games over the past two seasons. Darnell Mooney has never been on a team that posted a winning record since getting drafted. It's easy to understand why this is his singular focus. The same goes for quarterback Justin Fields. Normally when this is the case for such key players, it bleeds into the rest of the locker room. The Bears might not be ready to make a playoff run yet, but that doesn't mean they aren't going to try like hell to do so.