Now that the Atlanta Falcons have released Darnell Mooney, we know that Ian Cunningham and the Falcons see adding depth at receiver as a major priority this offseason. The only questions that remain are where Mooney will be spending his 2026, and if he will be able to return to full strength.
The demand for Mooney should be clear: the 28-year-old is only one season removed from a year in which he nearly surpassed 1,000 receiving yards-- and he only regressed in 2025 because he was playing through injury. As a high-upside vertical threat at WR2, there's no reason for teams to not be interested.
However, it won't be the contending teams that are calling. In all likelihood, it'll be the the rebuilding teams or the young roster looking to make splash moves to take strides in the right direction and compete now. The Las Vegas Raiders fit this mold, but aren't the team that makes the most sense.
In terms of teams who are could want to take a gamble on Mooney and sign him at a discount, the New York Giants are an intriguing landing spot. Just like the Falcons have tried (and failed) to do with Michael Penix Jr., the Giants are looking for receivers to help Jaxson Dart take a leap entering Year 2 because new Giants' OC Matt Nagy drafted Mooney during his time coaching the Chicago Bears.
The New York Giants are making too much sense as a potential destination for Darnell Mooney
Believe it or not, the G-Men are a really good landing spot for the Tulane product. Assuming Wan'Dale Robinson leaves in free agency as expected, Mooney would immediately step in as the WR2 in a super weak WR room in New York and would share the field with another budding star in Malik Nabers.
Big Blue needs more field-stretching receivers for Dart to throw to, so despite Mooney's lack of consistency, there's no reason not to take a shot if the price tag is cheap. Nabers isn't guaranteed to be back for the start of 2026 while he rehabs a torn ACL, so some reinforcements are very needed.
The receiver market is robust as ever, but I would be surprised if Mooney landed more than $10 million annually, especially after a 2025 season that while playing hurt, still failed to clear 500 yards. Spotrac projected his market value at $7.8 million per year, which feels like it could be a big bargain.
The Jalin Hyatt experiment in New York has crashed and burned and he's basically guaranteed to be cut, so adding speed to the WR room should be a priority. And if they don't take a receiver with the fifth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it'll make spending at the position that much more of a priority.
Now that they've hired John Harbaugh, the G-Men are looking to make some splashes to return to the playoffs in 2026, so for as much risk Mooney comes with, if he stays on the field and develops a strong rapport with Dart, signing him could provide just as much reward.