The Chicago Bears did not extend or re-sign wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who is now expected to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.
Darnell Mooney is set to sign a deal with the Atlanta Falcons. He adds to the plethora of weapons on Atlanta’s offense, including TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, and RB Bijan Robinson.
Sources: The #Falcons are signing #Bears WR Darnell Mooney, giving them a key new playmaker for Kirk Cousins.
Mooney gets a 3-year, $39M deal with $26M fully guaranteed in a contract negotiated by David Mulugheta and AJ Stevens of @AthletesFirst. A top WR off the board. pic.twitter.com/EgWKYhY0b7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024
The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to sign free agent wide receiver Darnell Mooney to a three-year, $39 million deal, including $26 million fully guaranteed, agents David Mulugheta and AJ Stevens told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chicago Bears Struggle to Keep Wide Receivers
Darnell Mooney’s contract seems rather large for the third or fourth option on a prolific offense, but that is not the focus.
Since 2011, the Chicago Bears have failed to extend any drafted wide receiver. In total, 12 wide receivers fit into that category.
With Darnell Mooney signing in Atlanta, he is the latest homegrown receiver to not sign an extension with the Bears.
The Bears have drafted 12 WRs since they extended Earl Bennett in 2011. None of them saw a second contract.
This is a problem. https://t.co/QHzYPkhaZK
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) March 12, 2024
Earl Bennett was the last wide receiver to receive an extension. At the time, he was a friend and go-to target for quarterback Jay Cutler. Both were former teammates at Vanderbilt as well. The quarterback’s relationship seemed to affect his ability to stay on the Bears roster.
Chicago Bears List of Wide Receivers Drafted
No Wide Receiver Taken in Years – 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017
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2009 – Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox, Derek Kinder
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2012 – Alshon Jeffrey
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2013 – Marquess Wilson
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2015 – Kevin White
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2017 – Daniel Braverman
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2018 – Javon Mims, Anthony Miller
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2019 – Riley Ridley
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2020 – Darnell Mooney
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2021 – Dazz Newsome
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2022 – Velus Jones Jr.
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2023 – Tyler Scott
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Most Bears fans probably don’t recognize or remember most of the names on this list, and they should not. A few were seventh-round flyers that didn’t turn into anything. Most, even if they weren’t seventh-rounders, were projects, to say the least.
One name to highlight out of that group is Alshon Jeffrey.
Alshon and the Chicago Bears could not agree to a deal back in 2017, so he left and pursued greener pastures in Philadelphia. Jeffrey signed a one-year contract with the Eagles. That season, the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
After the season, the Eagles took Jeffrey’s one-year deal and re-signed him to a four-year deal worth $52 million.
Bears Wire wrote, “Alshon Jeffery was one of the most productive receivers in Chicago Bears history during his five seasons with the team, which made it extra painful when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, “prove-it” deal in 2017.
Jeffery and the Bears couldn’t agree on terms that would’ve kept him in Chicago on a multi-year contract, and he certainly proved his value in 2017. Jeffery was a huge reason why the Eagles won the Super Bowl (in 2017).”
Chicago Bears fans know pain when it comes to wide receivers. This past offseason, they acquired D.J. Moore. With the team’s lack of success drafting, general manager Ryan Poles probably felt it best to find an established asset.
The Bears are in the market yet again to draft a wide receiver with one of their five draft picks. Good luck; they’ll need it.
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