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Darnell Mooney’s status for Week 1 up in the air

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 1:17 PM ET

For every team, the #1 goal of training camp is to get through it healthy. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done in the sport of football.

On the first day of training camp, Falcons standout wide receiver Darnell Mooney came down hard on his shoulder in an attempt to catch a pass from Michael Penix Jr. Mooney immediately exited practice with a trainer, and it was later revealed that he suffered a shoulder injury that would keep him out for most of training camp. The hope is that he’ll be ready to rock for a pivotal Week 1 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Falcons head coach Raheem Morris says it’s too early to know if he’ll be able to play.

Raheem Morris was asked about Darnell Mooney's availability for Week 1 and said they will re-evaluate his health after the next few weeks of keeping him off the field. Kept things a bit open ended.

— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) July 29, 2025

In the wake of the injury, the Falcons inked veteran wide receiver DJ Chark to a one-year deal, who was probably necessary depth regardless of whether Mooney misses time during the regular season or not.

In his first year with the Falcons, Mooney came up just eight yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards, a mark he would have easily surpassed had he played in Atlanta’s final game of the season against the Panthers.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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