Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, one of the Bears’ best recent success stories, is headed to the Falcons on a three-year, $39 million deal, NFL Network reported. He’ll join a loaded offense with new quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
The Bears drafted Mooney, 26, in the fifth round out of Tulane in 2020, and he quickly became one of their most important players. He immediately overtook veteran Anthony Miller and broke through with 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns as the team’s leading receiver in 2021.
From there, though, his production plunged.
Mooney dropped to 40 catches, 493 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games before a season-ending injury in 2022 and fell to career-lows last season with 31 catches for 414 yards and one touchdown. It didn’t help, of course, that he was playing in one of the NFL’s worst passing offenses, and the Falcons seemed to take that into account given the substantive contract they offered him.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles had hoped to sign Mooney to a contract extension last year, but they were too far apart. At the end of the season, it was clear he wouldn’t be back with the team.
