NEWSLETTER
The last time we saw Darnell Mooney on the football field he was hobbling off of it.
Mooney suffered what turned out to be a season-ending ankle injury on Nov. 27, 2022, in the Bears’ loss to the Jets. It required an IR stint and surgery. But seven months later, Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus delivered a positive update regarding Mooney’s health. One of Justin Fields’ favorite targets is “right on track” to be back for training camp, via Shaw Media’s Sean Hammond:
We’ve been getting encouraging health updates regarding Mooney in recent weeks. But this one tops them all. There was hope and optimism that Mooney would be available for training camp. However, it hits differently coming from the head coach. Eberflus telling reporters that he expects things to line up for Mooney to be ready to roll at training camp is welcome news. OTAs aren’t often full of newsy items worth sharing. But positive health news regarding key players is welcome and always worth re-sharing.
Part of me wants to pump the brakes on setting expectations. After all, Mooney is only a few months removed from surgery. And we’re more than a month away from seeing him on a practice field at training camp. There will be a grace period as Mooney builds back up to full speed. But part of me is excited to see what Mooney looks like when he gets fully going again. The arrow was pointing up for Mooney coming into last year. Remember, Mooney was coming off his first 1,000-yard season and spent the offseason working with Justin Fields to build a rapport. That tandem still has the potential to do special things. Maybe more so now than last year because opposing defenses won’t be able to key in on Mooney with D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, and Cole Kmet being able-bodied pass-catchers.
In the end, the big thing here is that Mooney’s health is in a good place now and heading into training camp. Don’t you love it when the health vibes are good ones?
