There's been a surplus of players who have struggled for the Atlanta Falcons' offense this season, but none worse than Darnell Mooney. After the veteran wideout came just short of 1,000 receiving yards in his first season with the team, he's returned to the same boom-or-bust WR2 he was in Chicago.
In the Dirty Birds' demoralizing 24-23 loss to the Patriots in Week 9, the 28-year-old caught just one pass for 15 yards. Across his last two games, he's caught just two passes for 26 yards, and is forcing Terry Fontenot to bring in some reinforcements for the receiver room before the trade deadline.
At the midway point of the season, Mooney has amassed just 12 receptions for 173 yards and it looks like he's playing his way out of Atlanta. His chemistry with Kirk Cousins didn't matter once Michael Penix Jr. took over, as the pair's lack of established rapport has proven to be costly thus far.
Darnell Mooney has proven the Falcons can no longer rely on him
While London's 597 receiving yards rank ninth in the NFL, he hasn't gotten nearly enough help from the rest of the receiver room. Some of the players with more yards this season include Ryan Flournoy, Gunnar Helm, Zay Jones, and ex-Falcon Olamide Zaccheus—who has shined in Chi-Town.
For someone who was supposed to take the leap alongside Penix and the rest of this offense, he's taken a massive step backwards. His slump has forced OC Zac Robinson to return to a run-heavy approach, as London and Kyle Pitts remain the only reliable pass-catchers Atlanta currently has.
The Tulane product was signed to a three-year $39 million deal last offseason, which at first looked genius, but now looks stupid again. The former Bears fifth-rounder fell under 500 receiving yards in both 2022 and 2023, and it's become apparent that Justin Fields is not what was holding him back.
The best season of his career came back in 2021, yet has struggled to recapture that high since. Luckily, the deal he signed comes with an out after the season, which would only provide Atlanta with $11 million in dead cap compared to the $18.5 million cap hit they'd be paying him in 2026.
It would be a complete shock if Mooney is on the Falcons' Week 1 roster next year, but Fontenot needs to find a replacement. And whether that addition comes through the draft, a midseason trade, or free agency, there will be less pressure on London to carry this WR room on his shoulders soon.