One of the most baffling developments over the past year for the Chicago Bears has been the decline of wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Coming out of 2021, it felt like the young wide receiver was an ascending talent. He’d cracked 1,000 yards. His speed was deadly. People were excited about his future. Then, he has managed only 907 yards combined over the past two seasons. Nobody can understand why he didn’t have a rebound year in 2023, especially with the arrival of D.J. Moore. His presence would’ve meant Mooney would see lots more single coverage.

It never worked. Something wasn’t clicking. Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown can’t believe it himself. He spoke to Moore and his brother Equanimeous about it during their podcast on The 33rd Team. They hesitated to give a straight answer on the subject, hinting that Mooney wasn’t the problem. St. Brown then suggested it was rather convenient every ball thrown to Moore was on target while those to Mooney never seemed to get there properly.

Is he suggesting quarterback Justin Fields quietly sabotaged the young receiver?

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The offensive scheme shift undid Darnell Mooney.
That is the one explanation that makes sense. He was highly productive in the offense put together by former head coach Matt Nagy. It fit his skillset well. Once Luke Getsy came in with that wide-zone scheme from Green Bay, Mooney’s effectiveness dropped considerably. Responsibilities in that offense for wide receivers are quite different from other systems. There is a lot less freedom and creativity when running routes. It is far more about executing the play to the finest detail. Mooney and Fields never seemed to sync up.

St. Brown’s comment was little more than his usual instigating style. The reaction by Moore and Equanimeous said a lot more. They seem to think the problem had more to do with how Darnell Mooney was used than anything Fields did. It is sad things ended this way. Mooney will likely hit free agency in March while the Bears reshuffle the position with their new offensive coordinator. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he lands on his feet somewhere else, perhaps reuniting with Nagy in Kansas City.