If you haven’t yet heard, the Chicago Bears aren’t expected to be very good this upcoming season. It’s an extremely popular notion that’s already been beaten to death, even though the team has yet to have a padded practice, let alone a regular season game. Still, the Bears aren’t on many people’s lists to make noise this season, but a couple of young players on the team are ready to surprise the doubters.
Offensive playmakers David Montgomery and Darnell Mooney both recently joined separate Chicago media programs within the last week to share their thoughts on the upcoming season and what the Bears might be able to do. While they’re not printing Super Bowl tickets just yet, they’re both believing the team is going to outperform expectations.
Mooney kicked things off last week when he joined Red Line Radio and was asked if the team was prepared for a potentially painful season given the low expectations. “Not at all,” the receiver said.
He then said there was “no doubt” that they could be a surprise when the season begins.
“As skill players, we’re just like ‘If the O-line can give Justin [Fields] some time just to get us the ball often, we’re gonna blow,'” he said.
The third-year receiver has the highest confidence in his quarterback, who he’s been working out with nonstop this offseason. It’s a similar sentiment as Montgomery recently gushed about his quarterback, as well as their chances to win this season.
Speaking with Jarrett Payton and Kaitlin Sharkey on WGN’s GNSportsTV, Montgomery shared similar views as Mooney and believes the Bears are a team that won’t be counted out early.
“I’m excited for everyone on the team, to kind of go out and have fun, but also dominate too,” Montgomery said. “We’re going to do a lot of things that people don’t expect us to do. We are going to shock a lot of people. I’m excited.”
If the Bears are truly going to be a pleasant surprise in 2022, it will be in no small part due to Mooney and Montgomery. The two players are easily the most important position players the team has heading into the season. Mooney is the unquestioned WR1 and is coming of a 1,000-yard season after just two seasons in the league. Montgomery, meanwhile, is the lead running back and is looking to get back to form after a knee injury disrupted a strong start to his season in 2021.
The Bears locker room could just be trying to play the “us against the world” mentality heading into a season with low expectations, but Mooney and Montgomery sound confident in their beliefs. A new coaching staff could do wonders and if Fields can develop while staying upright, they certainly have a chance to make things interesting for the rest of the league.
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