Falcons lose star player ahead of Buccaneers season opener

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have one less player to worry about when they take the field vs. the Atlanta Falcons today.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) walks off the field after a victory over the Dallas Cowboys | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Injuries can creep into the picture in the NFL before the regular season even begins. Just ask the Buccaneers, who will be without two of their most important players in LT Tristan Wirfs and WR Chris Godwin.

READ MORE: How experts are picking Buccaneers-Falcons in Week 1

Leading up to their Week 1 divisional matchup vs. the Falcons, Atlanta was also facing some injury issues. The most notable was the loss of their RT Kaleb McGary, who suffered an injury in practice and will be sidelined for the entire 2025-26 campaign. To make matters worse for the Falcons, reliable veteran receiver Darnell Mooney had been limited in practice with a shoulder injury leading up to their first game of the season and was expected to be a game-time decision.

Well, now that it's game time, news has broke regarding Mooney's status for this contest.

Falcons' Darnell Mooney ruled OUT for Week 1

Oct 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) scores a touchdownl in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

An hour and a half before kickoff, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Mooney would be inactive for the team's matchup against the Buccaneers.

Falcons WR Darnell Mooney is inactive today.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2025

It's a significant loss for the Falcons, who rely on Mooney's field stretching abilities for big plays.

Mooney was a star against the Buccaneers last season

Oct 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) gets past Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Tyrek Funderbunk (24) in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Although Darnell Mooney may not be viewed as a star player by most, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should absolutely hold him in that regard after how he torched them last season. In the first meeting between the Bucs and Falcons in 2024, Mooney had 9 catches on 16 targets for 105 yards and 2 TDs.

He followed that performance up just a few weeks later with another stellar performance, this time at Raymond James Stadium, where he caught another TD in addition to 86 receiving yards on just 4 catches.

READ MORE: How 3 key matchups could determine Buccaneers vs. Falcons in Week 1

In 2024, three of Mooney's five TD receptions on the year came in the two games he faced Todd Bowles' defense. This news is obviously unfortunate for Mooney, as he'll miss his first game of the year, but it's a different story for the Buccaneers, who now have one less playmaker to worry about in Week 1.

READ MORE: Former Buccaneers All-Pro explains why Bucs are biggest threat to Eagles

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