Darnell Mooney Injury Update
Darnell Mooney’s lingering shoulder injury once again looms large over the Atlanta Falcons’ game plan this week, with the speedy wideout still limited in Wednesday’s practice and officially questionable for Sunday’s primetime clash with the Vikings. D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOOrlandoAJC) reported on Twitter that Falcons WR Darnell Mooney opened up about missing most of training camp due to a right shoulder injury, shedding light on the setback that limited his preseason work.
Another tweet from Dr. Titi (Rated IR) (@dr_joserra) on Twitter reported that Falcons WR Darnell Mooney is dealing with a shoulder injury and will be a last-minute decision for game time.
All preseason, it’s been a frustrating “will he, won’t he?” scenario for Mooney, who hasn’t managed to suit up since training camp. Cue the collective groan from Falcons fans who were hoping to see him and Michael Penix Jr. cook up some highlight-reel magic.
Still, there’s a glimmer of optimism in Flowery Branch, as head coach Raheem Morris sounded hopeful (“I feel good about Mooney… we’ll see more”), and even mentioned Mooney’s pregame warmup last Sunday had the internet buzzing with speculation he might suit up, before ultimately landing on the inactive list. So, how long has this been dragging on? Since camp, which feels like ages in NFL time, a never-ending summer loop, with Mooney itching to break free but stuck doing only “a lot of things” and staying on pitch count at practices.
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s aerial attack looked noticeably flatter in Week 1, leaning heavily on running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts (Penix went short, London got smothered, and the box score proves it). It’s not just Mooney fantasy managers who miss him; the Falcons’ whole offense felt a little hemmed in without his 15.5 yards-per-catch dynamism (remember last year: 64 grabs, nearly 1,000 yards, and defenses on their heels).
It’s tempting to imagine a healthy Mooney stretching the field and letting Drake London work his magic on shorter routes. However, for now, all eyes are on Friday’s practice update because if the shoulder’s still not right, Atlanta’s going to have to hustle up more creative answers against the Vikings.
