Teammates Are Razzing Darnell Mooney About His New Bulky Physique

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the Chicago Bears' off-season was the first glimpse of Darnell Mooney. Fans hadn't seen the wide receiver in any capacity since he went on injured reserve with a broken ankle last year. That made the shock all the more jarring when he surfaced in a photograph with teammates Cole Kmet and Justin Fields after a workout. He was shirtless in the video, and it didn't take long to understand why. Mooney displayed a muscular frame both across his chest and arms.

It was obvious he'd been hitting the weight hard during the off-season, no doubt spurred by his inability to do any running while his ankle healed. Don't forget Mooney was around 176 lbs when he arrived in the NFL. Based on his newfound bulk, it wouldn't be surprising if he were somewhere around 190. Fields told Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times that he's been giving the wide receiver a hard time about it. He better be careful about adding too much muscle, or it could attract unwanted attention.

“We made a few jokes, saying that the NFL’s gonna drug test him soon because it looks like he’s been on a few steroids,” Fields said with a smile. “He’s been working hard, trying to get back right. We always joked with him last year on how skinny he was. So he’s definitely put on some weight and ready to go. I’m excited to see his comeback and I know he’s gonna come back better than he was.”

Darnell Mooney may have finally solved his biggest issue.

Nobody debated his ability to stretch defenses with his speed or his route-running skills. The problem was always his size. They felt he didn't have the necessary muscle mass to challenge bigger corners in man-to-man coverage. That might no longer be a concern. It's clear he has worked to add more power to his upper body. That should allow him to fight through jams at the line of scrimmage. It should also make him more effective as a run blocker. The Bears' wide-zone system needs good blocking on the perimeter to fully unlock its potential.

One thing is clear. Darnell Mooney is determined to rebound from his frustrating 2022 season. He sees himself as one of the best in the league. Many laugh at those claims after he failed to crack 500 yards last year. That motivation, along with the looming expiration of his rookie contract, should see him come out of the gates firing in 2023. He should have tons of opportunities thanks to the arrival of D.J. Moore, who should pull coverages away from him, similar to Allen Robinson in 2020 and 2021.