FLOWERY BRANCH – A headline once read: “Falcons WR Darnell Mooney: Worst Free Agent Contract?”
Mooney, who had played four seasons with the Bears, signed a three-year $39 million contract with $26 million guaranteed by the Falcons. The team even tampered to sign him, based in part on a strong one season (2021) in Chicago.
Ten games into his first season with the Falcons, the deal looks like the steal of the century.
A revived Mooney and the Falcons (6-4) are set to face the Broncos (5-5) at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
Mooney, who was drafted in the fifth-round (173rd overall) out of Tulane, has been a key part of the Falcons’ resurgence. He has caught 46 of 78 targets for 684 yards (14.9 per catch) and a career-high five touchdowns. He’s averaging 68.4 yards receiving per game, which is also a career-high and his catches have gone for 33 first downs, trailing only Drake London’s 36.
“I don’t really pay attention to the statistical part of everything,” Mooney said. “I’m here to win games and help out to win games. How things are going, the pace and all of that, I just try to go out there and win the game.”
Mooney caught 81 passes for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns for the Bears in 2021 under their former head coach Matt Nagy.
In 2022 and 2023 under coach Matt Eberflus, the offense regressed and he didn’t clear 500 yards receiving in either season. The Bears moved targets away from Mooney to the newly acquired D.J. Moore in 2023.
Mooney said he just wants to win and his production has helped the Falcons reach that goal six times.
“Production for sure,” Mooney said. “There’s a lot of things I feel like I could do better out there on the field wise. But I mean, you can’t be perfect. It’s hard to be perfect. So, I go out there and try to be perfect. I’ve been getting some of the things that I want to get out of it.”
An example of just how key Mooney is to the offense came in the Dallas game.
The Falcons went for it on two fourth-down plays. Each time, quarterback Kirk Cousins went to Mooney. He made both catches and nearly scored twice.
“He trusts me,” Mooney said. “I want to continue to keep that trust. So, I want to make that play for him and make that play for the team as well.”
On fourth-and-4 from Dallas’ 43, Mooney broke loose for a 10-yard gain. He nearly broke free for a touchdown.
“Oh my, that was going to be the first time that everybody saw me run really, really fast,” Mooney said. “I just got hit in an area where nobody wants to get hit at. That’s what slowed me down.”
On fourth-and-3 from Dallas’ 36, Mooney ran a wheel route and was wide open for a 36-yard touchdown catch.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs appeared confused by the Falcons’ three-wide receiver formation.
“That’s where the film study throughout the week, you try to get a tip and tell on some things, how they play different things,” Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “Certainly, they can make adjustments and play something different than what you anticipate.”
When Falcons wide receivers Ray Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge broke inside, Mooney looped around them and was wide open.
“It was a great job by those guys executing,” Robinson said. “Obviously, Kirk being able to throw that (pass on target). But Ray-Ray, ‘Red’ (Hodge) and Mooney, all their execution was good as well as the pass protection. Kirk making the throw is what made it all happen.”
Mooney, who’s one of the quiet leaders in the locker room, had five catches for 96 yards in the 20-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
“I mean, I just try to be where my feet are,” Mooney said. “I mean, I can’t get these days back. So, take advantage of that day and then make the most of it. ... Whatever you do today, that’s what it was for that day. So, be where your feet are, that’s my main thing.”
Cousins believes Robinson has incorporated plays and designs to feature his player’s strengths.
“Okay, Darnell does this really well,” Cousins said. “Drake does this really well. Kirk does this well. Let’s try to accentuate that so we keep building together. The longer you work together, the more that happens.”
Mooney is all for continuing to build.
“I mean, we still have some things to keep going and try to put a complete game together,” Mooney said.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
About the Author
