Darnell Mooney’s Latest Quote On Justin Fields Is Way Too Real

Justin Fields had the best all-around game of the season as the Chicago Bears quarterback. He accounted for 251 total yards with three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground. He was the best player on the field, offense or defense. The frustrating part is it could’ve been even better. Multiple big plays were left on the field because Bears receivers couldn’t catch the ball. Velus Jones and Equanimeous St. Brown were both guilty of costly drops on beautiful deep throws. Once again, Darnell Mooney was the only one who stepped up.

His five catches for 70 yards were a team-high. Sadly it wasn’t enough to change the outcome of the game. Chicago scored a respectable 29 points, but Dallas hung 42 on the defense. There was nothing Fields or anybody could do about that. It was an encouraging step forward for the offense. However, Mooney did come away with some lingering concerns. He voiced them to Courtney Cronin of ESPN after the game.

Darnell Mooney on the toughness of Justin Fields: "He’s got to stop taking hits. I love him, he’s a tough guy. But I don’t need him to be a tough guy anymore. Just get out of bounds or something, because we’re gonna need him.”

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 30, 2022

Darnell Mooney said what everybody else was feeling.

The greatest fear for Bears fans right now is whether Fields can survive the rest of the season. He’s been sacked 31 times in eight games. That isn’t counting the additional hits he’s taken. It is way too many. Nobody questions his toughness. The guy is remarkably durable, but everybody has a breaking point. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has done everything possible to protect him. Chicago runs the ball a lot, keeps in extra blockers to protect, and crafts quick throws. Unfortunately, all of that can’t cover up how poor the offensive line is.

It is perfectly understandable to hear Darnell Mooney say those words. He knows how important Fields has become to the Bears offense. In essence, he is the Bears offense. Everything runs through him. Of the 2,711 total yards posted by the unit this year, Fields is directly responsible for 1,623 of it. He’s also scored ten of their 16 offensive touchdowns. It isn’t fun to think about the idea of him getting hurt. Thankfully, the quality of opposing defenses will ease somewhat over the next few weeks. That might give him a reprieve.