The Atlanta Falcons have released wide receiver Darnell Mooney, the team announced Monday.
Mooney dealt with injuries in 2025, recording a down season with 32 catches, 443 yards and one touchdown. He broke his collarbone on the first day of training camp and missed Week 1. Mooney missed two other games with a hamstring injury.
In releasing Mooney, the Falcons free up $7.42 million in salary cap space but also take on $11 million in dead money, according to OverTheCap.com. Mooney would have also been due a $500,000 roster bonus if he were still with the Falcons on the fifth day of the league year, according to Roster Management System.
Mooney's first season with the Falcons was arguably the best of his career, and he was a solid complement to top receiver Drake London. In 2024, Mooney had 64 catches for 992 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Atlanta signed Mooney in the 2024 offseason from the Chicago Bears.
Mooney, 28, was drafted in the fifth round by the Bears in 2020. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark once in Chicago with 81 catches, 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2021.
The Falcons also made official the release of KhaDarel Hodge, a former Pro Bowl special teams player and wide receiver.