Falcons WR Darnell Mooney: Worst Free Agency Contract?

Darnell Mooney signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons last week.

Shortly after the Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal, they doled out the money for a big target for him in the offense in Chicago Bears receiver Darnell Mooney.

Mooney, 26, signed a three-year deal worth $39 million, a pricy contract for a veteran wideout that Bleacher Report is listing as one of the worst transactions in free agency so far.

Oct 30, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (11) runs for a first down in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium / Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

"The Falcons probably won't have to put a ton on Darnell Mooney's shoulders, but that's just another reason this is far too much money for a guy who has been held to fewer than 500 yards in each of the last two seasons while scoring just three touchdowns over the course of both campaigns," Bleacher Report writes. "Sure, he'll have more support in Atlanta, but there's a good chance we saw the 26-year-old at his best earlier in his career."

The 26-year-old Mooney spent the first four years of his career with the Chicago Bears, playing in 60 games with 49 starts. He caught 213 passes for 2,593 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Mooney's best professional season came in 2021, when he saw 140 targets and recorded 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns.

He's missed seven games over the past two seasons and watched his role in Chicago's offense vary - to the extent that 2023 was his least productive year in the NFL.

The 5-11, 173-pound Mooney caught 31 passes for 414 yards and one touchdown across 15 games (14 starts) last season.

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The Falcons have a lot invested in Mooney in hopes that he can be unlocked by Cousins and the new-look Atlanta offense.