Atlanta Reportedly Might Be In Big Trouble For Darnell Mooney Signing

Darnell Mooney had a good run with the Chicago Bears. Sadly, the wide receiver never managed to regain the form he had in 2021. Some of it was quarterback issues. The rest was his lack of consistency. Either way, it was evident by the end of last season that he'd be moving on in free agency. After a brief waiting period, Mooney found his new home, signing a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons for $39 million. It wasn't a huge surprise. Ryan Pace works in Atlanta's front office. They needed another receiver to pair with Drake London, and Mooney is a southern kid.

However, the process that landed him there may not have been exactly within the legal bounds of NFL bylaws. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Falcons are under investigation for tampering with quarterback Kirk Cousins. It is believed the team may have already been talking to the former Pro Bowler before the legal tampering period began. Worse still, Cousins admitted that he played a central role in recruiting Mooney to Atlanta, which would be another violation if evidence proves this true.

That could put the Falcons in a really bad spot.

The Falcons seem to have engaged in blatant tampering with former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Recklessly. With potentially little effort made to cover their tracks.

The best evidence comes from Cousins himself, who admitted during his introductory press conference — without prompting — that he spoke to the team’s head athletic trainer on Tuesday. Cousins also spontaneously admitted that he spoke with Falcons director of player personnel Ryan Pace. While no specific time was applied to that conversation, the Cousins press conference happened just a few hours after the start of the new league year, which also marks the point at which conversations between the Falcons and Cousins could commence...

...The Falcons might have tampered so extensively with Cousins that Cousins became the conduit for tampering with former Bears receiver Darnell Mooney. Cousins said at his introductory press conference that, at one point during the team’s negotiations with Mooney, Cousins offered to call Mooney directly to make the pitch. This shows that the Falcons had jumped over the line with Cousins so far that Cousins was operating as an extension of the team. It also shows that Cousins was recruiting Mooney at the behest of or with the permission of the team, which is a separate violation.

Darnell Mooney can't seem to catch a break.

He finally inks a strong contract and appears set to join an offense featuring one of the most proven passers in the NFL. On top of that, he gets to play in a dome. Now, there is this situation. If found guilty, Atlanta is almost certain to lose draft picks. While it won't affect them in the short term, it could seriously hamper their ability to keep the team competitive over a long period of time. That means Mooney's window to compete in Atlanta may end up much shorter than expected.

Here is hoping he gets his chance to experience some success. Darnell Mooney never saw a winning record in Chicago. That team in Atlanta is good enough to finally change that, especially in a division that looks weak. Much of this depends on how healthy Cousins will be coming off that torn Achilles. If things go as planned, the Falcons can win that division. They better hope so. If Florio is right, a severe punishment could be waiting for them by the next off-season.