The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be exploring the possibility of bolstering their receiving corps through free agency.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Chiefs are among the teams expressing interest in Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who became a free agent earlier this week.
At 26 years old, Mooney posted 414 receiving yards and a touchdown on 31 receptions in the previous season. His most productive stint came under the coaching of former Bears head coach, now Chiefs offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, where he accumulated 1,055 receiving yards in 2021. A potential reunion with Nagy could reignite the chemistry that proved fruitful in Mooney’s four-year career.
Having completed his initial four-year, $3.56 million rookie contract, Mooney now enters unrestricted free agency for the first time. Notably, he turned down a three-year extension with the Bears before the 2023 season.
Although Mooney’s recent seasons haven’t yielded significant yardage—recording fewer than 500 receiving yards in both 2022 and 2023—he has exhibited moments of promise and potential, particularly when paired with a quarterback of Patrick Mahomes’ caliber.
While the Chiefs achieved considerable success in 2023, clinching their second consecutive Super Bowl victory, concerns lingered over the performance of their wide receiver group throughout the regular season. Instances of dropped passes and errors were recurrent, prompting doubts about the team’s ability to secure another championship.
Mahomes and the Chiefs navigated through the challenges posed by their receiving corps. Nonetheless, the addition of a skilled receiver like Mooney could fortify their lineup and potentially pave the way for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl triumph.
