Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney suffered an injury in the club’s Week 11 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Here’s the latest from Sunday’s game.
What Happened to Darnell Mooney?
Mooney suffered a hamstring injury during the second half of the Falcons’ contest against the Broncos.
While it’s unclear when Mooney was injured, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall noted that Mooney was replaced by fellow WR Khardarel Hodge on Atlanta’s second and third drives of the third quarter.
Mooney’s final target came with 14:39 remaining in the third quarter when he failed to haul in a short pass from Kirk Cousins.
Mooney was a limited participant in Atlanta’s Thursday and Friday practices ahead of Week 11 while battling an Achilles injury. He was not listed on the Falcons’ Wednesday report, so he may have been injured during practice. Mooney didn’t have an injury designation for Sunday’s game.
The Falcons’ offseason addition caught two of four targets for 27 scoreless yards in the first half. Mooney entered Week 11 leading Atlanta’s pass catchers in receiving yards (684). He was second on the team behind Drake London in targets (78), receptions (46), and receiving touchdowns (five).
Did Mooney Return in Week 11?
The Falcons announced near the end of the third quarter that Mooney was questionable to return due to his hamstring injury.
However, Mooney remained sidelined for the rest of the day. It’s unclear if this was a result of the severity of Mooney’s injury or because the Broncos had built a huge 31-6 lead over the Falcons at that point.
Darnell Mooney has a hamstring injury and is questionable to return.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) November 17, 2024
The Broncos went up 38-6 midway through the fourth quarter. Atlanta pulled Cousins and played Michael Penix Jr., so it’s possible they were just being cautious with Mooney.
Head coach Raheem Morris didn’t provide an update on Mooney’s status after the game, but keep an eye out for more info on Monday once Mooney undergoes further testing.
Fantasy Impact of Mooney’s Injury
Mooney has been one of the NFL’s most surprising producers this season, which carried his fantasy managers up to this point. Should he miss time, more usage lands on the laps of Kyle Pitts and London, with a direct replacement off of the waiver wire less likely.
Hodge would be the add for deeper leagues, but with the bye upon us, there’s no need to make a move as a result of this situation just yet.
— PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe
PFN+ Analysis on Mooney’s Injury and the Falcons Offense
Mooney has been an interesting part of the Falcons’ offense because not much had been expected from him entering the year. He was coming off ranking 94th in PFN’s WR+ in 2023 and had not been above 62nd in his career.
That has changed this year, with Mooney ranking 42nd entering Week 11. He’s been a big play target in Atlanta, leading the league in plays over 20 yards and ranking inside the top 20 in EPA per target.
Mooney’s other numbers are not particularly impressive, but he has been a fantastic role player for the Falcons.
— PFN Analyst Ben Rolfe