The Chicago Bears might be in the market for some firepower on offense after trading wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
Obviously, young playmakers like Luther Burden and Rome Odunze will need to step up in his absence. But they won't be able to accomplish this on their own, especially now that free agent Olamide Zaccheaus won't be returning to the Bears.
In order to add depth to the wide receiver position, the Bears should reunite with Darnell Mooney, who started his career right here in the Windy City and was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons.
Why the Bears should give Darnell Mooney a call again
Bringing back Mooney just makes sense. Over the course of his career, the speedy wide receiver has proven he has what it takes in order to succeed in the NFL. He would be a solid slot receiver for the Bears, a position the Bears must fill soon. It's fair to assume he'd quickly become a safety valve for Caleb Williams.
Mooney is no stranger to success in Chicago. When he was drafted to the Bears, he was nothing more than an unheralded wide receiver out of Tulane. In his rookie season in 2020, he broke the franchise record for most receptions by a rookie wide receiver with 61 and followed this up with 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns.
Since this hot start, Mooney has experienced times of inconsistency and lackluster stats. However, with Burden and Odunze taking up much of the defense's attention, Mooney has a real shot to create some serious mismatches for a Bears offense looking to repeat the success they had last season.
Even though there might be cheaper options in the draft, what those pass catchers lack that Mooney has is experience. It will come at a price, but bringing in a seasoned veteran of Mooney's caliber could be a huge asset for the Bears down the stretch. The Bears are a team in win-now mode. It makes sense to bring in Mooney over a rookie who could become a liability.
Read more: No one should sleep on Bears QB Tyson Bagent (and he's ready to prove himself)
Besides reuniting with the Bears, Mooney has also been linked to the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.