Falcons send Ray-Ray McCloud home, list Darnell Mooney as questionable vs. 49ers.
Raheem Morris on the situation with Ray-Ray McCloud, who will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game:
“I sent him home,” head coach Raheem Morris said Friday. “An excused absence. We are working through some things that are private with the young man, and we will get…
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) October 17, 2025
The Atlanta Falcons are thin at the wide receiver position entering their Week 7 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Ray-Ray McCloud has been ruled out for the second consecutive game, while Darnell Mooney has been listed as questionable.
Mooney also missed last week’s 24-14 win over the Buffalo Bills due to a hamstring injury. While there’s a chance he starts on Sunday, we wouldn’t count on it based on the last few weeks. Mooney did not participate in Friday’s practice and has been banged up since Day 1 of training camp.
After missing the first week of the season with a shoulder injury, Mooney returned for the next three games before injuring his hamstring in Week 4. Thus far in 2025, Mooney has just seven catches for 79 yards.
As for McCloud, head coach Raheem Morris would not elaborate on his absence but said it wasn’t injury related.
“I sent him home,” Morris told reporters on Friday. “An excused absence. We are working through some things that are private with the young man, and we will get those things figured out.”
So with McCloud out and Mooney unlikely to play on Sunday, look for another big game out of Drake London. The fourth-year wide receiver has been on a tear as of late. London has recorded 18 catches for 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks.
The Falcons are 2-0 when London goes over 100 receiving yards in a game this season, but he can’t do it by himself. Second-year wide receiver Casey Washington and tight end Kyle Pitts could each be in for a big game if the 49ers are able to take London away.
San Francisco has ruled out quarterback Brock Purdy for Week 7. Former first-round pick Mac Jones will get the start in place of Purdy on Sunday. Jones has gone 3-1 in four starts this season, passing for 1,252 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
Make sure to tune in for the Falcons’ third prime-time game of the season this Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.