Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney should be in the clear Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Unlikely to Miss Time

Originally posted on Atlanta Falcons on SI
By Arkesh Ray | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney injured his hamstring early in the third quarter of Atlanta’s 34-27 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The Falcons were leading 17-10 when Mooney left the game. He would not return and finished the day with just one catch for 15 yards. With the Falcons fortunate to have an early Week 5 bye, it’s unlikely the receiver will miss any time.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared via X said the upcoming bye week should help Mooney avoid missing any games

Mooney, who’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career last year, has been hampered by injuries throughout the early portion of the 2025 season. After putting up a career-best five touchdowns and nearly a thousand yards last season, the 27-year-old receiver hurt his shoulder on the first day of training camp.

He would go on to miss most of camp, along with all three of Atlanta’s exhibition games, in Week 1, with an injury designation. Mooney finally saw the field again in Week 2’s 22-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

Now the receiver deals with a hamstring injury; however, the good news seems to be that it is unlikely for him to miss any playing time.

Through the first four games, Mooney has just seven catches for 79 yards on 16 targets. While his numbers do not pop out the screen, on Sunday, the Falcons finally unleashed their offense, with Penix hitting Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson all for huge gains. Mooney was Atlanta’s top deep threat a season ago and was tied fourth in the NFL with 14 “deep” (20+ air yards) receptions, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). As he returns to full strength and the Falcons continue to stretch the field, the receiver will once again be a key component of the offense.

The Falcons face a tough test after their bye week, with the undefeated Buffalo Bills (4-0) coming to town for another primetime showdown on Monday Night Football. With Mooney’s hamstring injury appearing to be just a minor scrape, Atlanta expects its top deep threat to be back on the field in Week 6, as the offense will look to build off the momentum of Week 4, and not look as pitiful and anemic as it did in the Falcons' first three games.