Darnell Mooney Shows Off Fully Healed Ankle For The First Time

The Chicago Bears spent the entire spring and early summer practices without one of their best offensive players. Darnell Mooney hasn't been present for any team activities since he broke his ankle last season. Some wondered if he would be ready in time for training camp two weeks from now. The first hints people got were photographs of the receiver taken with teammates during a throwing session. A shirtless Mooney looked bulkier than he has at any point in his career. The only thing left was to determine how well he was running.

We finally have our answer courtesy of Fields' personal trainer, Simeone Kelly. He recorded the quarterback and receiver doing drills down in Florida. Mooney has a shirt on this time, but his legs stole the show. It's pretty apparent the guy has most of his trademark speed back. He should be 100% ready to go once camp begins on July 27th.

This development is exactly what the Bears want. They've already seen exciting progress from new arrival D.J. Moore. Getting those two on the field together is the next step.

Darnell Mooney is at his best when not the primary focus.

That may sound like an insult, but it's not. His best season came in 2021 when he went over 1,000 yards. The Bears still had Allen Robinson that year and defenses still viewed him as the primary pass target. Since secondaries focused on bottling him up, it allowed Mooney to see single coverage more often. That led to more big plays. After Robinson left, there was nobody to prevent defenses from shifting their attention to him. Ironically that is probably why Cole Kmet had his best season.

Moore's arrival changes everything. He is at least as good as Robinson was. His presence is something opponents will have to respect. That was proven in Carolina. Darnell Mooney won't have to worry about seeing safety help blanketing him all the time. If he beats his primary cover man, he will be open. This is exactly what the Bears were aiming for when they traded for Moore. If those two stay healthy, it could be a big year for Fields and the rest of the passing game.