Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney wasn’t expected to remain on the open market long in NFL free agency, and that came true on Tuesday morning. Mooney is on the move and headed south to join the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins.
It’s a big move for both the team and the player. The Falcons look to be continuing to try and build their offense, and Mooney adds a different element to that group. We take a look at the productive wide receiver’s new contract and all the details that bring the playmaker to Atlanta for the foreseeable future.
Darnell Mooney’s Contract Details
The new deal was first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, with the insider stating, “Sources: The Falcons are signing Bears WR Darnell Mooney, giving them a key new playmaker for Kirk Cousins. Mooney gets a 3-year, $39M deal with $26M fully guaranteed in a contract negotiated by David Mulugheta and AJ Stevens of AthletesFirst. A top WR off the board.”
Rapoport is reporting that Mooney will be heading to Atlanta on a three-year deal that will pay out $39 million over the lifetime of the contract, with $26 million of it being guaranteed. It’s a nice payday for the former Bears WR, who will look to come in and add more firepower to an offense that already includes Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson.
Offensive production has been a struggle in Chicago over the years, but Mooney has had some success there in his young NFL career, with his best coming in 2021, when he finished the season with 81 receptions, 1,055 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.
However, in 2023, Mooney’s numbers were far less impressive. He finished the year with just 31 receptions, 414 receiving yards, and only one touchdown.
The hope is that Mooney’s production will once again see an increase with Cousins throwing him the ball in what should be a far more prolific offense than the one he was previously in.
Mooney is a former fifth-round pick who has found his way to a lucrative second contract and a chance to reestablish himself with a different franchise willing to pay him what he thought he was worth.
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Now the young WR takes his talents to Atlanta and joins a Falcons team that looks to make a run at the wide-open NFC not only in 2024 but in the years to come.
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