One of the areas of concern surrounding the Chicago Bears' roster heading into the 2022 season is the team's wide receiver position. Despite adding Byron Pringle via free agency and Velus Jones Jr in the NFL Draft this offseason, many believe that new general manager Ryan Poles hasn't done enough to improve the position to help quarterback Justin Fields. Despite the concern, the Bears will have third-year receiver Darnell Mooney, who has grown significantly during his first two seasons in the league and has a chance to now do what no other Chicago receiver has done.

The Bears Have Had Receivers With Short-Term Success, But Not Long-Term Success

Throughout Bears' history, the team has had tremendous success at the linebacker, defensive end, and running back positions. One position that has failed to yield consistent success for the franchise has been the wide receiver position. Since 1980, Chicago has only had three wide receivers be named to the Pro Bowl. Those wide receivers include Marty Booker, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffery. Johnny Morris, who played with the Bears from 1958 to 1967, remains the franchise leader in reception yards with 5,059. Although Chicago has had some tremendously good receiver talents over the past 30 years, none of those talented wide receivers have been able to have sustained success with the team. Since 1995, Chicago has had only five receivers record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, with no Bears player ever recording three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The five receivers include Booker, Marshall, Jeffery, Curtis Conway, and Allen Robinson.

Despite proving to be top-level wide receivers, none of these players could put up consistently high numbers for the Bears, as they were either limited by injuries or poor quarterback play. Conway recorded 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 1995 and 1996 but was limited to only 476 yards over seven games in 1997 due to injuries. Following 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2001 and 2002, Booker's production was limited by poor quarterback play as Chicago started three different quarterbacks in 2003, as his receptions were significantly reduced. When the Bears acquired Marshall via trade from the Dolphins, he would later break several of the franchise's single-season receiving records in 2012, including 118 receptions and 1,508 receiving yards. Although All-Pro pass-catcher had another 1,000-yard receiving season in 2013, he failed to reach the mark the next year as he missed the final three games of the 2014 season due to a back injury.

Like Marshall, Jeffery and Robinson failed to record a third consecutive season with 1,000 receiving yards due to injuries. In 2015, Jeffery was limited to only nine games but still recorded over 800 receiving yards. Robinson recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 but only played in 12 games, with his reception total dropping by nearly seventy receptions.

Darnell Mooney Is Positioning Himself For Long-Term Success

The Bears drafted Mooney in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft as he was viewed as a potential deep-threat receiver for Chicago behind Robinson and Anthony Miller. Despite demonstrating the capabilities to be a big-play receiver, Chicago's 2020 rookie showed excellent route running potential from the slot position. Mooney broke the Bears' rookie record for receptions by a wide receiver with 61 catches. Throughout the 2020 season, he caught short, medium, and deep passes in the Bears' offense. Last season, the Bears' offense could better utilize Mooney on deep passing routes as Fields and fellow quarterback Andy Dalton featured better deep-ball accuracy. In the fourth game of the 2021 season, Chicago's second-year receiver caught two receptions that were 32 yards or longer as he finished the day with five receptions for 125 yards. Mooney recorded four games last season of 120 receiving yards or more and increased his reception total from his rookie season by 20 catches.

Mooney's production last season was significant because he had little to no help from other players at the receiver position. Outside of the second-year receiver, no other Bears receiver more than 38 passes or eclipsed 500 receiving yards. Mooney's best games came during Robinson's three-game absence from Week 11 to Week 13, as he recorded 15 receptions for 271 yards and a touchdown. Heading into the 2022 season, Fields and Mooney have spent much of the offseason training and working on timing together. The Bears' offense has a chance to be productive due to their second-year quarterback's deep-ball accuracy and their third-year receiver's ability to get separation deep. Mooney, over his first two seasons in the league has displayed the capability to make any kind of catch and find a way to create space within opposing defensive coverage, with or without help.

Mooney has a tremendous chance to record another 1,000 yard receiving this season serving as the Bears' official number one wide-receiver. Depending on what he does this season, he could position himself to become the first receiver in Chicago history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Mooney has gotten better each season and as long as he stays healthy in 2022, he should be able to a significant step in become one of the league's best.