(670 The Score) Bears receiver Darnell Mooney could be in position to sign a long-term contract extension prior to the start of the season, but it sounds like he first needs to prove he's healthy.
As Mooney recovers from a broken fibula that he suffered last November, the Bears want to see him run and prove his health, Mooney told fellow Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on their 33rd Team podcast. After that, Mooney believes contract negotiations will pick up.
“I’ll be 100%,” Mooney said. “I got screws in my foot, so I’ll be a little robotic. Probably 1,000 times better than I was.
“They want to see me run and stuff. We'll see. I’m in no rush.”
A fifth-round pick of the Bears in 2020, Mooney has been a key piece for the team. He has 182 receptions for 2,179 yards and 10 touchdowns over 45 career games. Mooney had 40 receptions for 493 yards and two scores in 12 games last season before his injury.
In 2021, Mooney posted a career-high 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears acquired receiver DJ Moore in a trade in March, adding him to a mix that includes Chase Claypool and Mooney as the top targets.
At the end of last season, Bears general manager Ryan Poles raved about Mooney as a player and a person.
“I love him more than I did when I first walked in the door,” Poles said in January. “I think he's a special human being, first and foremost, and a really good football player.
“In adversity, he's a guy that says, ‘It is what it is, I'm going to control what I can control and you know I'm going to come back just as good if not better than I was before.’ So, everything's positive.”
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