A shoulder injury is expected to sideline Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a few weeks, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The injury occurred when Mooney dove for a deep ball during full-team work on Thursday and left the field with a trainer, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. The sixth-year wideout could be sidelined for most of training camp, per WSB’s Zach Klein.
DJ Chark‘s workout was already scheduled before Mooney went down, but his injury seems to explain why the Falcons completed the signing yesterday. The team announced the deal, presumably a one-year pact, this morning.
The Falcons have a number of receivers who can step up in Mooney’s place during his absence, including KhaDarel Hodge, who played with the first team on Saturday, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. Veteran Jamal Agnew, who arrived in Atlanta this offseason on a one-year, $2.5MM deal, could also be in line for more reps. The same goes for Chark as he learns the offense.
Mooney’s injury doesn’t appear to threaten his Week 1 availability. He signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Falcons last offseason and immediately turned in a strong debut season in Atlanta. He finished second on the team to Drake London in virtually every receiving category with 64 receptions on 106 targets for 992 yards and five touchdowns. Those were Mooney’s best numbers since 2021, and the team’s lack of investment in their receiver room this offseason shows that they believe in a repeat performance this year.