Falcon Report

Falcons WR Visiting Another NFC Foe: Report

The Atlanta Falcons don't appear very interested in bringing back one of their unrestricted free agent wide receivers.

Dave Holcomb

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Rondale Moore
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Rondale Moore / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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The writing continues to be on the wall. Veteran wide receiver Rondale Moore will probably never play in a game for the Atlanta Falcons.

Moore visited the Minnesota Vikings during the first week of NFL free agency. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Moore will visit the Chicago Bears on March 17.

St. Patrick's Day is an excellent time to be in Chicago. But Moore's visit has ramifications far beyond the holiday fun.

Moore's tour to other teams in the NFC is a clear indication the Falcons don't have interest in bringing back the receiver.

The Falcons acquired Moore in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals a year ago. In a rare player-for-player deal, the Falcons sent quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals for Moore.

Moore, though, suffered a season-ending knee injury before the preseason opener. The Falcons placed the wideout on injured reserve on Aug. 8.

The Cardinals drafted Moore at No. 49 overall in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. But the wideout has failed to live up to his second-round expectations.

His best statistical season was his rookie 2021 campaign when he had 54 catches for 435 yards.

During his draft process, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Moore to Tyler Lockett. Like Lockett, Moore entered the league as an undersized slot receiver but with great speed.

Yet, Moore has averaged only 8.9 yards per catch in his career.

The Falcons could use an upgrade at slot receiver for 2025. Drake London and Darnell Mooney are set to start on the outside. Ray-Ray McCloud will likely once again be the team's top slot receiver.

In 2024, McCloud posted a career-best 62 catches for 686 receiving yards.

Even if McCloud can repeat those numbers, the Falcons could use additional slot depth. But it's not likely to come with a Moore return.

During his last healthy season, Moore posted 40 catches for 352 yards and a touchdown during 2023. The 24-year-old appears likely to resume his career elsewhere in 2025.

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Dave Holcomb
DAVE HOLCOMB

Dave is a staff writer at Falcon Report. He also writes at Yardbarker, Southern Pigskin, Cox Media, and Rotowire. Follow him on Twitter @dmholcomb.