Is Chicago Bears’ 2022 WR Corps Really Among Worst Ever? Let’s Compare

The Chicago Bears don’t exactly have a stellar history when it comes to building good wide receiver groups. There are some exceptions, of course. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery in the early 2010s. Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham in the mid-1990s. Aside from sporadic such instances, it’s been a long parade of disappointment. With Justin Fields entering his critical second year at quarterback, many people are lampooning the 2022 corps as one of the worst in recent memory.

Much of the vitriol stems from the lack of significant resources invested in the group. GM Ryan Poles had months to acquire a top veteran in free agency but opted instead for a series of one-year fliers. Then in the draft, he spent his two highest draft choices on defensive backs, not grabbing a receiver until the 3rd round. If that weren’t bad enough, it was a receiver with only one year of good production in six college seasons.

So yeah. Skepticism is raging across the media landscape. To their credit, the Bears brass doesn’t seem flustered by it. They feel they’ve pieced together a solid group that fits the offense they plan to implement. Are they right, or is the backlash correct in labeling them one of the worst groups this franchise has had in years? Here is a list of comparisons to other notable Bears receiving corps that were notoriously bad.

2022 Chicago Bears receivers stats from 2021

• Darnell Mooney – 1,055 yards, 4 TDs
• Byron Pringle – 568 yards, 5 TDs
• Velus Jones – N/A (Rookie)

2017

• Kendall Wright – 614 yards, 1 TD
• Josh Bellamy – 376 yards, 1 TD
• Dontrelle Inman – 334 yards, 1 TD

2004

• David Terrell – 699 yards, 1 TD
• Bobby Wade – 481 yards
• Bernard Berrian – 225 yards, 2 TDs

1993

• Tom Waddle – 552 yards, 1 TD
• Terry Obee – 351 yards, 3 TDs
• Curtis Conway – 231 yards, 2 TDs

1980

• James Scott – 696 yards, 3 TDs
• Rickey Watts – 444 yards, 2 TDs
• Brian Baschnagel – 396 yards, 2 TDs

Truth be told, the statements about how atrocious this receiving corps is felt overblown. The Chicago Bears have had far worse in their long history. Mooney is a 1,000-yard guy in his prime and managed to do that in an offense that most experts considered a joke. Pringle managed 568 yards and five scores last year despite only being targeted 60 times. If he’d been thrown to around 85 times like a typical #2 receiver, he’d have had 804 yards and seven touchdowns. Any Bears fan would take that in a heartbeat.

Jones is the wild card. There is no way to know what he will be for the team because he’s never played an NFL snap. His speed is undeniable, and the coaches will figure to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. That, more than anything, is why so many people are skeptical of this Bears group. They aren’t sure how much the 3rd round pick can do for them. If he can manage in the 400-500 range with 3-4 touchdowns, that should be considered a success.

When looking at the other trios fans could have instead, it is safe to assume they’d take the 2022 iteration without a second thought. Yes, this corps isn’t good enough to win a Super Bowl. Fair argument. Even so, it should be serviceable enough to help Fields improve.