Mooney isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason finale against the Titans, Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Other skill-position players in line to be held out include QB Andy Dalton, RB David Montgomery, WRs Allen Robinson and Marquise Goodwin and TEs Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet. The Bears figure to center their offense around Robinson and Montgomery again, but Mooney nonetheless has second-year breakout appeal after a solid rookie season where he improved throughout the year. The Bears' poor depth at wide receiver could work in his favor, perhaps leading to an every-down role and steady targets. However, Mooney gets a major challenge to start the season -- a road trip to Los Angeles to face a Rams defense led by DT Aaron Donald and CB Jalen Ramsey. The matchup might at least work in Mooney's favor when it comes to volume if the Rams use Ramsey to shadow Robinson for portions of the game.