"Mooney's ballooning cap hit in 2026 always made it likely he'd be a cap casualty, but he was supposed to help lift the Falcons to the playoffs in 2024 and 2025. Instead, he turned in a great season in a doomed year with Kirk Cousins' fade and the defensive collapse in 2024, with 64 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns."
"He followed that up by breaking his collarbone in the summer of 2025-something the team hid-and battling various ailments, rust, and simple ineffectiveness as he managed just 32 receptions for 443 yards and a touchdown last season. Like many of Atlanta's moves over the past two seasons, this one didn't work out."
"If he's fully healthy, it goes without saying that Mooney will land a nice deal elsewhere and has a chance to thrive again. He's a big-time deep threat when he's rolling and will be 29 this year, and some team is likely to hand him a solid short-term deal to see if he can regain his 2024 form."
The Atlanta Falcons are cutting wide receiver Darnell Mooney following a disappointing 2025 season marked by injury and ineffectiveness. After an excellent 2024 campaign with 64 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns, Mooney broke his collarbone in summer 2025 and struggled upon return, recording only 32 receptions for 443 yards and one touchdown. His ballooning cap hit made him a likely cap casualty. With Mooney's departure and KhaDarel Hodge already released, Drake London remains the Falcons' only established high-end receiver. The team must now aggressively pursue upgrades through free agency and the draft. Despite the disappointing outcome, Mooney's 2024 performance and the team's mismanagement of his injury suggest the Falcons bear more responsibility than the player for the failed partnership.
Read at The Falcoholic
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