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Falcons WR Rondale Moore Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury

August 8th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rondale Moore‘s debut Falcons campaign has already come to an end. The fourth-year receiver was carted off the field in practice yesterday, and the worst-case scenario has been confirmed after testing.

Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. He has now been placed on injured reserve by the Falcons, per a team announcement. The 24-year-old’s attention will therefore turn to recovery ahead of free agency.

Entering the league as a second-rounder, Moore faced high expectations with the Cardinals. He occupied a regular role in Arizona’s passing game for the past three seasons, drawing between 56 and 64 targets each year. The Purdue product did not deliver a strong statistical output during that span, however, with his best campaign coming in 2023 (530 scrimmage yards, two total touchdowns).

Moore was dealt to the Falcons as part of a straight swap for quarterback Desmond Ridder in March. That deal was a welcomed one on Moore’s part, given his dissatisfaction with his usage in Arizona. A change of scenery had him lined up to play with Kirk Cousins ahead of his walk year, providing him the opportunity to showcase himself in a new offense before landing a new Atlanta contract or reaching the market. Instead, Moore’s value will take a notable hit and Atlanta’s offense will be shorthanded during Cousins’ debut campaign.

The Falcons still have Drake London in place atop the WR depth chart. The former No. 8 pick has shown potential with underwhelming quarterback play so far in his Atlanta tenure, but expectations are high for a step forward in production with Cousins in place. Atlanta also signed Darnell Mooney in free agency, and the former Bear will be counted on to serve in a starting role on the perimeter.

Moore was competing for the first-team slot spot before going down with the injury. The Falcons were high on his potential in a new system, but Josh Kendall of The Athletic notes Ray-Ray McCloud was ahead of him based on how training camp had progressed (subscription required). Now, McCloud – who has seen his best performances come in the return game – will be counted on to produce on offense.

In a corresponding move, the Falcons signed undrafted rookie punter Ryan Sanborn. The Texas product was part of Atlanta’s UDFA class, and he will again have the chance to spend time with incumbent Bradley Pinion for at least a brief period. The team will now need to evaluate if a receiver addition is necessary ahead of roster cutdowns.

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