Why Mooney earning Bears extension would be key step in rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Terry McLaurin was the latest young receiver to secure a massive payday, signing a three-year extension worth up to $71 million with the Washington Commanders. McLaurin's deal comes a few months after A.J. Brown signed a four-year, $100 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles.
DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel are expected to reach an agreement on similar deals this offseason.
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If things go according to plan this fall, Darnell Mooney will be in line for a big-money extension of his own with the Bears next offseason.
I don't put myself in a category with any other guys," Mooney said during minicamp when asked about players like Brown who requested a trade and were rewarded with a big deal.
"I see the guys that do get paid. I love that for them. They raised the bar for guys like me and guys that are looking forward to getting paid in the future – cap-wise, or whatever.
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"I'm just worried about me, what I can do and what I can put on tape and just being the best receiver that I can be. With all those numbers and trying to work to get this amount of money, I feel like with winning and doing the right things, I think everything takes care of itself. I don't really worry about those."
A fifth-round pick out of Tulane, Mooney had a solid rookie season before breaking out in 2021 as Justin Fields' most-trusted target. With Allen Robinson leaving to join the Los Angeles Rams in free agency, Mooney enters the season as the Bears' top target with a chance to cement himself as a legitimate No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
In an offseason filled with pleas for the Bears to trade for a top receiver like Metcalf, Mooney enters the 2022 season with a promise to show that he hasn't even scratched the surface.
"At the end of the day, I will get my respect, and I'm going to keep going until I get my respect," Mooney said in April. "Even when I do get my respect, I'm still going to keep going."
The Bears can't start extension talks with Mooney until after the 2022 season, but it would be a positive sign for the Matt Eberflus-Ryan Poles rebuild as it would give them a building block at a premium position.
In order to build a sustained winner in today's NFL, it's imperative to have good-to-elite players at the premium positions (quarterback, wide receiver, left tackle, edge rusher, and cornerback).
At the moment, the Bears' premium position cabinet looks barren outside of budding star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
The Bears have no long-term answers at offensive tackle, while Robert Quinn's absence from mandatory minicamp puts their pass rush in dire straits.
Justin Fields showed flashes of star potential during his rookie season, but he has yet to cement himself as the Bears' long-term option under center.
Entering the 2022 season, the Bears have one near-elite player (Johnson) at a premium position. But if Mooney breaks out this fall and earns a McLaurin-type extension, the Bears will enter a critical offseason with at least two budding young stars at important positions and potentially three.
Because if Mooney explodes this fall, it can only mean good things for Fields' development.
"He's already Justin Fields," Mooney said of the Bears quarterback during minicamp. "He wants to be the best quarterback in the league. He's taken the stride to be there. I got unbelievable faith that he will be there, and his success is my success, so as long as he's doing good, I'm doing good, we're all doing good."
Eberflus and Poles begin their rebuild with few franchise building blocks and many unknowns at critical positions.
But Mooney has the potential to be a vital piece to their rebuilding efforts. Even if he proves to be a plus-plus No. 2 wide receiver this season, that will clarify Eberflus and Poles' plan for next offseason.
If Mooney earns a big extension, the Bears can focus their heap of salary-cap space on improving the offensive and defensive line while getting Mooney a running mate in the wide receiver corps early in the draft.
It will take time for Eberflus and Poles to build a contender. But the quickest way to jump-start the rebuild is to have players like Mooney and Gipson make the leap from good to great and give the Bears some answers at crucial positions.
Given what we saw last season and his strong connection with Fields, Mooney is the most likely to do so. If talk of a Mooney extension begins in October or November, it means the young wide receiver has delivered on his promise, and the Bears' rebuild is headed in the right direction.
