The Chicago Bears shall be with out vast receiver Darnell Mooney for the remainder of the season after he suffered a left ankle harm Sunday in opposition to the New York Jets.
Coach Matt Eberflus mentioned Monday that Mooney — the Bears’ main receiver in 2021 and 2022 — seemingly will want surgical procedure on his ankle and can go on injured reserve. Eberflus mentioned Mooney will meet along with his physician once more to substantiate his subsequent steps.
Mooney was blocking on a David Montgomery run within the third quarter at MetLife Stadium when Jets security Jordan Whitehead landed on Mooney’s left leg, inflicting it to bend awkwardly. Bears employees had to assist Mooney off the sphere and to the tunnel as a result of he couldn’t put weight on his leg.
The harm leaves the Bears with out one in all their most vital gamers as they attempt to make strides of their still-quiet passing recreation. Mooney was one in all second-year quarterback Justin Fields’ favourite targets the final two years and did additional work with Fields through the offseason in Atlanta and after practices.
The 2020 fifth-round pick of Tulane had 81 catches for 1,055 yards and 4 touchdowns final season. He had 40 catches for 493 yards and two touchdowns this yr.
“Once we got going into the offense, he really started to shine,” Eberflus mentioned. “Outstanding at blocking the perimeter. He had a very nice reference to Justin all through that stretch. He is our main receiver.
“But more importantly, he is a great teammate. He’s a great leader. No one puts more yards in than Darnell Mooney, I’ll promise you that. He laps people. He doubles them up.”
Mooney had no less than one catch in 44 straight regular-season video games earlier than Sunday. He sat out the Bears’ playoff recreation within the 2020 season with an ankle harm, the one recreation he has missed.
He has change into often known as a quiet chief at Halas Hall, revered by coaches and teammates for the way in which he works.
“His attitude, you feel it in the building,” tight finish Cole Kmet mentioned. “He brings gentle within the room, an incredible chief, a dude that everybody appears to gravitate towards. So everytime you lose a man like that within the huddle, it’s positively robust for the staff.
“Obviously he’s a great playmaker, but just his attitude and how he approaches his day to day is really special.”
As the offense has gone via the working recreation this yr behind Fields, Montgomery and now-injured Khalil Herbert, the Bears don’t have one other vast receiver with greater than 14 catches. Kmet has 29 and Montgomery 21.
The Bears’ next-best vast receivers are Equanimeous St. Brown (14 catches, 195 yards), Dante Pettis (13 catches, 188 yards) and Chase Claypool (seven catches, 83 yards).
The Bears are final within the NFL with 131.2 passing yards per recreation.
Mooney’s harm might make it tougher for Fields to enhance within the passing recreation when he returns from the separated left shoulder that saved him out Sunday. Claypool no less than has seen his enjoying time steadily rise as he will get extra snug within the offense after arriving by way of commerce earlier this month, although he was banged up in Sunday’s recreation too.
When requested Sunday what the Bears would miss with out Mooney, quarterback Trevor Siemian was concise: “Speed, explosive plays, leadership.”
Eberflus and Kmet mentioned they spoke with Mooney after the harm. Eberflus advised Mooney the Bears nonetheless need him across the constructing to offer management. Kmet supplied a TV advice for Mooney’s downtime — “Yellowstone” — and mentioned Monday his teammate was in good spirits.
“He’s going to have a great attitude toward this,” Kmet mentioned. “He’s going to take this head on, and he’s going to work his tail off. And I know he’s going to have a big comeback for sure.”
Eberflus didn’t have an replace on security Eddie Jackson, who suffered a foot harm Sunday. He mentioned the Bears didn’t know but whether or not it was season-ending.
“We’re going to find out with Eddie where it is,” Eberflus mentioned. “He has to see the doctor, and we’ll get more information as we go from there.”
The Bears have a number of different accidents to observe this week main as much as Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Green Bay Packers, most notably Fields’ shoulder. Eberflus once more emphasised Fields is “day to day.”
“He’s got 48 hours here to heal up until Wednesday (practice) and then we’ll see where it is from there,” Eberflus mentioned.
Right tackles Riley Reiff (shoulder) and Larry Borom (ankle) additionally left the sport Sunday. Eberflus mentioned Michael Schofield and Alex Leatherwood could be proper sort out choices if the accidents maintain each Reiff and Borom out. The Bears additionally might transfer proper guard Teven Jenkins again to sort out, however Eberflus mentioned, “We’re pretty comfortable with him playing guard.”
Eberflus referred to as Claypool and St. Brown “day to day” after they’d undisclosed points Sunday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
