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          Falcons' Darnell Mooney out several weeks with shoulder injury

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          • Marc RaimondiJul 25, 2025, 09:51 PM ET
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              Marc Raimondi's first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
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          The Atlanta Falcons will be without one of their top wide receivers in the short term.

          Darnell Mooney has a shoulder injury and will be out for several weeks, the team announced Friday night.

          In the Falcons' first practice of training camp Thursday, Mooney dove for a deep Michael Penix Jr. pass down the right sideline during 11-on-11 work and stayed on the ground for a few seconds before getting up. Mooney walked off the field with a trainer, with his helmet in hand, and did not return.

          Mooney has been the team's No. 2 wide receiver behind Drake London since being signed by Atlanta in the 2024 offseason from the Chicago Bears. Mooney, 27, had 64 catches for 992 yards and a career-high five touchdowns last year.

          On Friday, the Falcons signed free agent wide receiver DJ Chark, who had most recently played with the Los Angeles Chargers. Chark, a 2018 second-round pick, brings speed and experience. He has 51 career starts and has played for four teams.

          Chark, 28, is likely to join London and Ray-Ray McCloud III as starters while Mooney is out, though KhaDarel Hodge and Casey Washington could be in the mix for reps as well.

          ESPN's Adam Schefter contributed to this report.