Receiver Darnell Mooney said last week that Bears quarterback Justin Fields had the 49ers circled because they drafted quarterback Trey Lance No. 3 overall last year when they could have had Fields, whom the Bears eventually took No. 11.
But on Wednesday, Fields said he didn’t take it personally.
“We’re not worried about last year’s draft — ‘Oh, this team passed on me,’” he said.
The Bears face the 49ers in their opener Sunday.
Fields faced the 49ers last year and went 19-for-27 for 175 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He ran 10 times for 103 yards. The Bears played two other teams last year that passed on Fields in Picks 1-10 — the Bengals and Lions — though only Detroit was in actual need of a quarterback.
In addition to the 49ers, the Bears will play the Jets (who drafted No. 2), Falcons (No. 4), Dolphins (No. 6) and Eagles (No. 10) this season.
Fields smiled and said that Mooney was just showing off his personality when he speculated about his quarterback’s motivation last week.
“That team passed on him,” Mooney said. “So they’re gonna have to pay a little bit for that.”
