Falcons get Darnell Mooney Injury Boost ahead of Chargers

Atlanta Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney suffered an Achilles injury several weeks ago but is trending upwards before Sunday's game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney is trending toward playing Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' starting offense was pulled in the fourth quarter of the team's 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 17, but not all first-teamers were off the field solely due to the score.

Standout receiver Darnell Mooney, who has 48 catches for a team-high 711 yards and five touchdowns, continued feeling the effects of an Achilles injury he'd battled throughout the week leading into the game.

Atlanta's bye week came at a good time from a health perspective, and head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that Mooney was one of the biggest beneficiaries of getting the week off.

"He's back, he's looking good, he's feeling good," Morris said. "I feel really good about where (he is) and what (he) can do. Obviously he didn't finish that game last week, but it was great to get him a rest week and do some of those different things and get him a little bit healthier than he was, so he's definitely that."

Mooney was a limited participant Wednesday before being a full-go Thursday. He's trending favorably to play without limitations when the Falcons (6-5) face the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

As such, Mooney appears poised to get an opportunity to continue his resurgent 2024 campaign. After two down years with the Chicago Bears, Mooney has given the Falcons a strong piece opposite top receiver Drake London.

When Atlanta gave Mooney a three-year, $39 million contract in free agency this past March, it did so believing he'd help maximize London, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts.

Morris evaluated Mooney during the pre-draft process in 2020, as did receivers coach Ike Hilliard, and vice president of football operations Ryan Pace was the general manager of the Bears when they selected Mooney in the fifth round.

So, the Falcons took a swing on Mooney -- and the 27-year-old has delivered.

"We just felt like he was the perfect fit for what we wanted to do and how we wanted to build around our guys," Morris said. "It was like, 'If we can add this guy, we felt like we can take our offense to a whole new level.' I believe he has the speed element, the detail, the sharp kid, the cerebral leader.

"They have all been true to what we thought, and I couldn't be more pleased with what he's been able to give us."

[RELATED: Inside Darnell Mooney's Falcons Resurgence]

The Falcons had largely only seen glimpses of Mooney doing those things, particularly in how Atlanta wanted to utilize him. As far as reps on film, Morris said there was not a large sample size.

So, Atlanta looked at Mooney's past in Chicago and anticipated how his skill set would translate. Morris said it's worked out not only for Mooney but the Falcons' offense overall.

"Some of the things you've seen him do, with some of the one-on-one wins and some of the downfield plays and some of the things he's been able to do for us in a winning football standpoint -- I think it's a very, very high level," Morris said.

And the Falcons expect Mooney to play at that level Sunday.