Hilarious Reason Justin Fields Hopes The Darnell Mooney Hate Continues

Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney began to develop a connection early last season. It wasn't evident at first. The young QB never found the speedy receiver much through his first two games of extensive action against the Bengals and Browns. That changed against the Detroit Lions in Week 4. Fields hit Mooney five times for 125 yards at a whopping 25 yards per catch. It was the first indication that they might naturally fit each other. One is a fast receiver, and the other is a gifted deep ball passer. That chemistry continued to blossom in the following weeks. Sadly, it wasn't able to finish strong thanks to Fields' injury setbacks. Even so, the two entered the off-season knowing they had something to build off of. Months passed, with the two spending countless training sessions with each other. They'd work out, throw hundreds of pass patterns to improve timing, and then watch hours of film. Fields quickly developed respect and admiration for how insanely hard Mooney works.

While this happens, though, everybody else keeps slandering the receiver.

National media members have repeatedly said Mooney isn't a true #1 receiver. He may not even be a #2. Does that bother Fields? Not really. In fact, he explained why he hopes it continues during an interview on NFL Network.

"Just his work ethic. What he puts in, day in and day out. He gets it all out. Every time he gets done with practice, he's on the JUGGS. After meetings, late at night, he's on the JUGGS. His work ethic is unmatched. He's awesome. An awesome leader and an even better person. I hope teams continue to sleep on him so, you know, they leave him one-on-one, but he's definitely awesome."

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Justin Fields remains a practical man at heart.

People said he was smart, and this comment proves it. He knows the lack of respect will benefit Mooney. The wide receiver has thrived on it for years. However, he also knows teams tend to fall into that trap the media sets from time to time. If the TV and radio people keep saying this player or that player isn't worth extra attention, it becomes easier to believe. Knowing how dangerous Mooney is when covered one-on-one, it was particularly crafty of him to feed the narrative during a media interview. The two will be tested right out of the gate this year. Week 1 will be against San Francisco and then the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. Those two defenses have arguably two of the best secondaries in the NFL. If Justin Fields to Darnell Mooney wants to build serious traction as one of the best combos in football, then shining in those contests is a must. This is a big year for both of them.