Falcons' Darnell Mooney: 'I did not come right here for 1,000 yards; I got here right here to win'

Extensive receiver Darnell Mooney is coming into his second season with the Atlanta Falcons, and he has one aim in thoughts: successful.

“I did not actually come right here [to Atlanta] for 1,000 yards. I got here right here to win,” Mooney stated Friday, in line with The Atlanta Journal-Structure. “So, for, you already know, anyone that is like creating that as a prime tier for the receivers, that is not what I got here right here to do. I got here right here to win video games.”

Darnell Mooney had 992 receiving yards in 2024. (Photograph by Ian Maule/Getty Photographs)

Mooney totaled 64 receptions for 992 yards (a career-high 15.5 yards per reception) and a career-high 5 touchdowns final season. He ranked thirty sixth amongst large receivers with a 74.0 total grade, in line with Professional Soccer Focus. Mooney missed one sport because of a shoulder damage, which was a Week 18 matchup in opposition to the Carolina Panthers.

Mooney provided up evaluation on his 2024 efficiency.

“I did fairly nicely with the deep routes, and the most important factor that I wish to do is catch the ball and take one thing to the [end zone],” Mooney stated. “Make a minimum of three folks miss, have some thrilling performs.”

Mooney is coming into the second season of a three-year, $39 million cope with the Falcons. The receiver spent the primary 4 seasons of his NFL profession with the Chicago Bears (2020-23), the place he totaled 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2021. Granted, Mooney averaged simply 36 receptions for 454 receiving yards per season from 2022-23.

Mooney is a part of a Falcons’ pass-catching corps that features large receivers Drake London — who totaled a profession excessive in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,271) and receiving touchdowns (9) in 2024 — and Ray-Ray McCloud (career-high with each 62 receptions and 686 receiving yards in 2024) and tight finish Kyle Pitts. Atlanta additionally has star working again Bijan Robinson, who earned a Professional Bowl nod final season after speeding for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns, whereas tallying 431 receiving yards.

Atlanta benched veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix Jr., chosen with the No. 8 choose within the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington, after 14 video games. The Falcons went 1-2 with Penix underneath middle and missed the playoffs with an 8-9 file.

That stated, Penix is Atlanta’s future at quarterback, and Mooney is smitten by what’s to return with the second-year signal-caller.

“He throws the ball very, very far,” Mooney stated about Penix. “He has a powerful arm. He can get it out each time he must. Like, if it appears like he is late, he will not be late. He can get the ball there in time.”

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