On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons will kick off their 2025 season with a home game against their NFC South divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team that has kept them from winning the division for the last couple of years. Atlanta is hoping for a strong second year from rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who took over down the stretch of last season for Kirk Cousins, producing mixed results.
Unfortunately, ahead of Sunday's contest, the Falcons dropped an injury report that revealed that one of Penix's top targets will miss the first game of the year.
“Darnell Mooney is inactive for today's game,” the Falcons reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Darnell Mooney was one of the leading receivers for Atlanta last year behind Drake London, keeping defenses off balance with his elite speed and route-running ability and staying reliable from a health perspective.
Unfortunately, that seems to have changed of late, as Mooney has seen his name pop up in injury reports throughout training camp and the preseason, leading some fans to wonder whether or not he would be ready by the time the real thing starts.
The answer to that question has now officially been revealed as no.
A tough blow for the Falcons
With Mooney out of the lineup, the Atlanta Falcons may have to lean even more heavily on the talents of Drake London, who had a breakout season last year, turning himself into a consensus top ten wide receiver in the NFL, but who still can't do it all by himself.
Atlanta may also look to give even more carries to running back Bijan Robinson, who is looking to insert his name into the Offensive Player of the Year mix this season.
Overall, the Falcons should be an interesting team to watch this year. Atlanta was clearly well aware that its biggest weakness was its pass rush, adding two first round picks to help out in that department last spring.
If Penix can build on some of the potential he showed to close last season, this could finally be the year that Atlanta ends its ugly, nearly decade-long playoff drought.
