ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons have ruled out wide receiver Darnell Mooney from Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers.

Mooney landed on the Falcons’ injury report Thursday with a shoulder injury. He was listed as restricted that day before being downgraded to a non-participant on Friday. He was given a questionable game name before the weekend began.

This is an unfortunate end to Mooney’s regular season, as he was eight yards away from surpassing 1,000 receiving yards on the year. Fellow receiver Drake London has already surpassed the same mark, and if Mooney had joined him, the duo would have become the first Falcons pair to reach the 1,000-yard mark since Roddy White and Julio Jones in 2012.

Without Mooney, the Falcons will likely use more KhaDarel Hodge and Chris Blair in their receiving rotation. Another option could also be rookie receiver Casey Washington, who will be active this Sunday after working through concussion protocol last month. Sunday’s game has the potential to prepare Washington well, as Washington is someone who has worked with new quarterback Michael Penix Jr. more than arguably anyone during the 2024 season. However, time will tell.

In other inactive news, the Falcons also ruled out two key defensive players. Cornerback Kevin King (concussion) and JD Bertrand (eye) are inactive for Atlanta Sunday. King was an important part of the depth for the Falcons’ secondary, providing certain looks. The same has been true for Bertrand at the linebacker position since Troy Andersen landed on injured reserve a few weeks ago.

Here is the complete list of Falcons inactive for Week 18: