Darnell Mooney

BIOGRAPHY

Darnell Mooney’s football journey began in the quiet city of Gadsden, Alabama, where he was born on October 29, 1997. Gadsden City High School is where he first demonstrated his athletic prowess – not only in football but in basketball too. His time spent playing for the Gadsden City Titans shaped and polished him, leading to stepping higher into the spectacular world of college football.

Mooney became a name to reckon with during his time at Tulane. He quickly proved his worth in his junior and senior years respectively, leading the Green Wave in receiving. His impressive statistics, 48 passes and 993 yards in 2018 and 713 yards in 2019, garnered attention. However, it was his 19 career touchdowns that truly drew the attention of professionals.

His dream of entering the National Football League (NFL) seemed much closer during the NFL draft combine. Mooney stunned everyone by sprinting a 40-yard dash in just 4.38 seconds. In the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears finally decided to secure him with the 173rd pick. Mooney signed a four-year rookie contract with them on July 21st.

Mooney’s career trajectory took off when he made his NFL debut in a stirring 27–23 victory against the Detroit Lions. He caught three passes from Mitchell Trubisky, showing his potential for greatness. The following week saw him scoring his first ever NFL touchdown with a 15-yard pass against the New York Giants.

His performance in a week 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings was noteworthy. He caught an impactful four passes and one touchdown that season, transcending him to the top of the Bears’ rookie records by breaking Harlon Hill’s record for most catches (45) in 1954. His best rookie game came against the Packers, where he made an impressive 11 catches for 93 yards. Unfortunately, this game also saw Mooney sustain an ankle injury, forcing him to miss the subsequent playoff against the New Orleans Saints.

Despite his injury, Mooney bounced back in the 2021 season, delivering a stunning performance of 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. His best was saved for last, against the Vikings, where he made 12 catches for 126 yards. However, the 2022 season introduced another obstacle when he injured his ankle once again. Despite missing some games, he managed to hold his own with 40 catches for 493 yards and two touchdowns.

The next season in 2023 was a challenging one for Mooney, marked by career lows of 31 receptions, 414 yards, and one touchdown. His impressive game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 where he caught five passes for 82 yards was sadly overshadowed by a concussion later in the season which caused him to miss the final games.

As a free agent, he expressed his love for Chicago and his willingness to return. However, he ended up signing a three-year, $39 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. Hence, this narrative chronicles Darnell Mooney’s journey – from a high school athlete to a professional football player in the NFL, illustrating trials faced, records broken, and the tenacity displayed in the face of adversities.