Moore and Sweat talk going into offseason, future with Bears |
CHICAGO - With so many free agent pickups last offseason, it is important to note the two trades that occurred to get Chicago to where they currently are. Acquiring elite receiver DJ Moore, who had one of the best seasons in franchise history for a wide receiver, was essential In addition, edge rusher Montez Sweat helped elevate the Chicago defense while also becoming the first player in NFL history to lead two teams in sacks in the same season.
For Moore, though, there is some disappointment with the Bears not making it to the postseason. “We had some games where we lost and we didn’t finish out games the best that we could. But, the games that we won, you could see the offense is on (the) rise, could be explosive throughout the game,” Moore said. “When you go back and look at all the games that we won and then go look at (the) Denver game, the first Detroit game, the first Minnesota game. It’s games you can pinpoint where it’s like, ‘Dang. If this was a different outcome … you’re talking about (a 10-win) season right there.” Going into this offseason, one person who is set to become a free agent is wide receiver Darnell Mooney who had the least productive season of his career and his catch percentage was barely over 50 percent. His biggest highlight of the season was arguably his dropped hail mary reception against the Cleveland Browns, which fueled talk about him not coming back to Chicago next season. However, Moore sees a lot of value in Mooney even though he did not play his best this season and hopes that he will return. “Ever since I got here, Darnell has opened his arms and helped me learn the offense. He always was telling me how good I was, and he would go back and forth about just different things, whether it was life or just football. Any team that gets him, hopefully he’s here next year, but any team that gets him is getting a hard worker and someone that’s going to be honest with you,” Moore said. “He had that 1,000-yard season. I mean, once you get to that point, it’s like, you always got that under your belt. You always know you can, that’s something that you want to chase. So, he’s going to have that on the back burner in his mind, keep him going.” The biggest question going into this offseason is whether or not the Bears will stick with Justin Fields as the quarterback. When asked about Fields’ future with the organization, Moore went straight to the point about his view on the matter. “He’s the quarterback for the Chicago Bears until otherwise, and I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon,” Moore said. “So, we’ll see.”
Defensively, the Bears had one of the best units in the league once they acquired Sweat in a trade with the Washington Commanders. For him, there was also disappointment about not making the playoffs, especially because he wanted more time in the locker room with the current group of players.
“Great group of people. We fell short of the goal that we set to get into the playoffs. But, I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Sweat said. “It’s a bittersweet feeling. You need that break to let your body rest. But, I really wanted just some more time with the guys and in this locker room. Obviously, after every year, the team will change, and some people will stay, and some people will go. But, with this group personally, I just wanted just a little bit more time.”
