Chicago Bears Training Camp Preview: The Wide Receivers

Next up in our series looking at different units as the Chicago Bears head into training camp is the wide receivers.

As the Chicago Bears head into training camp later this month, we’ll take a look at the different units. First up was the secondary.

In the series, we’ll look at the new players, how they’ll fit a new system, and how they might perform in 2022.

Next up is the wide receivers unit.

As with nearly everything offensively related for the Chicago Bears in 2021, the wide receivers struggled. Allen Robinson, one of the top receivers in the league, had his worst season since his rookie campaign. He suffered from injuries and had a tough time getting on the same page with rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

One receiver who didn’t have that trouble was Darnell Mooney. In his second season, he eclipsed the 1,000-receiving yards mark. He and Fields were pretty much on the same wavelength all season long.

Of course, what helped was the two of them staying after practices during training camp and working together. They created a special bond with that and it was very noticeable when Fields came in.

The pair hope to continue that bond this season. They spent most of the offseason working together and plan on doing so again during the break before training camp starts. Each player knows that if one player succeeds the other does as well.

Other than Mooney, there wasn’t much production coming from the wide receivers. The second-leading receiver last season was tight end Cole Kmet. After Mooney, Robinson had 410 receiving yards. No one else came close to 400 yards.

Many expected big-named signings

The wide receivers unit was one of the areas fans and people around the league expected general manager Ryan Poles to focus on. However, salary cap restrictions prevented him from attacking the way people expected.

It appears that Poles just wanted to clear cap space in 2022 so he was in a position to really make a dent in 2023. The only receivers under contract in 2022 were Mooney and Dazz Newsome. However, he made several small signings instead of going for any big fish.

Poles went out and signed Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis, Tajae Sharp, David Moore, and Chris Finke. Additionally, they brought back Nsimba Walker and drafted Velus Jones Jr.

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Who steps up behind Mooney?

The question for the Bears is who becomes the other dependable target after Mooney?

The players Poles signed are young, hungry players. They haven’t made an impact in the league yet. They see this as a chance to show what they can do. A lot of them likely won’t be on the roster in 2023 so they view this as an “interview” for other teams. For others, this might be their last chance at staying in the NFL.

Poles is banking on that pressure to create diamonds on the field.

Pringle is probably the one who gets the first shot at taking most of the non-Mooney targets for the wide receivers. Last season, he did impress. In his first two seasons, he only had 25 catches for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns.

All that changed in 2021 when he had 42 catches for 568 yards and 5 touchdowns. What makes it more impressive is that Pringle was down on the target list with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs had many great and dependable receivers so Pringle didn’t get much of a look. When Patrick Mahomes went to him, Pringle took advantage of it.

Now the Bears hope that 2021 wasn’t just a blip. They hope he grows even more and helps in Fields’ development.

Pettis might be one of those underrated signings. He had a lot of promise when he came into the league in 2018 as the San Francisco 49ers’ second-round pick. In his rookie campaign, he had 27 catches for 467 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was a big-play receiver, averaging 17.3 yards per catch.

Pettis got into the head coach’s doghouse, though, and saw less action. In 2020 the Niners waived him. The New York Giants claimed him, but he wasn’t able to catch on. Now the Bears hope he takes advantage of this possible last chance to make an impression.

The Jones pick was a surprise. Jones was projected to go in the fifth round or later, but the Bears selected him in the third round. He has limited route tree experience but has incredible speed.

The Bears want to take advantage of that speed. They’ve been using him much like San Francisco uses Deebo Samuel. They want to throw him short slants and reverses and even run him out of the backfield. In college, he was an incredible returner so the more they get him the ball the higher the chance of him breaking a big play.

Projection for 2022

Some analysts have the Chicago Bears’ wide receivers unit as the worst in the NFL. While I don’t think they’ll be very good, I’m not sure the worst is an apt description.

Mooney continues to grow as a player and as a leader. He took Jones under his wing and even acts as his hype man. He believes Jones will surprise many people. If he does, that’s very good going forward. If the Bears have two young, athletic, and speedy receivers still under their rookie contracts it gives the offense a boost.

Also, Pringle could have a good season. He’ll get the opportunities early. Let’s see if he takes advantage of those opportunities the same way he did in Kansas City last season.

I’d keep an eye on Pettis. He may have a good season if Fields has the time to throw. His desperation might end up being a good thing for the Chicago Bears.

With all the speed they have, Chicago’s receiving corps might surprise a lot of people in 2022. Again, it won’t be a top-tier group but better than most expect.