To say the last month has been brutal would be an understatement. After two wins against two playoff teams from last year, the Atlanta Falcons have now dropped five straight games, and two straight in overtime.
And for the cherry on top, they will now be without their starting quarterback for the rest of the year and their most (and only) consistent receiving threat for the foreseeable future. Making matters even worse is knowing that Michael Penix Jr.'s absence could extend into the start of the 2026 season.
However, the change to Kirk Cousins could be a blessing in disguise for Darnell Mooney, who is still vying to secure his roster spot for next year.
Darnell Mooney's chemistry with Kirk Cousins could save his disastrous season
Mooney has been one of the worst starters in the NFL this year. He has cost his team numerous times with embarrassing drops, while also failing to show up for a team that needs him in the worst way possible.
Now, with Drake London out, the pressure has only increased. But getting to work with Cousins might just be what he needs. The disparity the receiver has with Cousins throwing him the ball compared to Penix Jr. is staggering.
Kirk Cousins starts:
- 15 games
- 99 targets (6.6 per game)
- 58 receptions (3.9)
- 59% catch rate
- 884 yards (58.9)
- 15.2 yds/rec
- 5 touchdowns (0.3)
Michael Penix Jr. starts:
- 9 games
- 49 targets (5.4)
- 22 receptions (2.4)
- 45% catch rate
- 332 yards (36.9)
- 15.1 yds/rec
- 0 touchdowns
The disparity between the two quarterbacks is enough to have hope for the No. 2 (temporarily the No. 1) receiver moving forward. That said, he is in his own head right now. Outside of a strong, contested catch on third down on Sunday, he has been dropping passes left and right.
Releasing him in the offseason with a post-June-1 designation will free up $11 million with dead cap hits of $6.5M in 2026 and $4.5M in 2027. If he is released pre-June 1, the savings will be $7.5M with an $11M in 2026—that isn't feasible.
But maybe the move to Cousins will make something click in his head, or having a right-handed spiral is what he needs.
If he doesn't flip things around, he is heading toward free agency again because the Dirty Birds won't hesitate to release him in the offseason. What we have seen this year, injuries or not, has been atrocious.
The issue is that even if he does bounce back, he is scheduled to have an $18.5M cap hit next season. In other words, he will have to do a lot with Cousins throwing him the ball over the final seven games.